Good Enough
by AnimeFreakSquee
Summary: State of the mind stimulates our power, causing one to grow stronger or to follow the opposite path. Most believe that it is impossible to change the mindset they possess... VegetaxOC. More info inside.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first DBZ fic, so please don't flame me. As I said, this is AU, considering the pairing. It follows the DBZ storyline but with my plot twists and changes. Pairings (some canon some not): VegetaxOC, GokuxChi-chi, KrillinxEighteen, GohanxVidel, (later) GotenxOC, and (later) TrunksxOC. Bulma might be paired with Yamcha; I'm still trying to decide that one. It follows the story of my main OC. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Prologue- Destruction **

"_All our knowledge merely helps us to die _

_A more painful death then animals_

_That know nothing._"

-Maurice Maeterlinck

My heart was pounding in my chest; my body quickened the pace as desperation continued to rise. _Dammit…why couldn't we realize the truth sooner? _But would it have made a difference? His power was far beyond any of his people. Even if they retaliated, it would have only meant destruction in the end. They had no way of knowing that even cooperation would not save them. The corridors of the ship seemed to work like a labyrinth when one was under attack; for some reason, I struggled to locate the control room. I skidded to a stop as a handful of men adorned in strange spacesuits rounded the corner of the hallway. They turned on me, prepared to finish me with their ki beams.

My right arm extended forward, and with one swoop, I managed to deflect the beams, sending them back to their owners. That one movement seemed to kill off a majority of them. I released three ki beams at once, killing the remainder of the guards. With the enemy whipped out of my path, I continued onward.

My legs carried me from corridor to corridor. More soldiers attempted to deter me from my path; they lost their lives immediately. _Dammit, this is taking too long. _I extended my hand above my head, aiming my open palm towards the ceiling. I could feel the heated ki as it churned, slowly transforming into a spherical energy blast. Releasing it, debris and smoke swirled around me as an explosion went off. Looking upwards, I saw that I blasted a hole that would allow me access to the room I desired. Kicking upwards, I ascended the different floors, avoiding the many soldiers meandering through the halls.

I landed on the metal floor in the bridge. A majority of the spaceship I was infiltrating was white with a pale pink and purple tint, with some golden designs on the walls. For the most part, it was quite bland. The bridge was a wide room, with walls adorned with high tech computers and the like. I was shocked to see a corpse lying on the floor before me. It was the body of a woman. She was wrapped in an ivory cloak with black lined with silver, pointed armor on her shoulders. White, knee-high boots acted as her footwear. Blood poured from her the stub of her neck; out of the corner of my eye, I could see a bloodied decapitated head. A large window stretched across the wall that was positioned across from the door, allowing me a glimpse into space. Beyond the window, I could see a large planet.

_Is that… _It was my homeworld. A mob made up of hundreds upon hundreds of dead corpses could be seen. Their attire was familiar. Only one of the beings within the cloud of the deceased was moving.

Sitting in a chair that hovered rather rolled was a strange creature. The main layout of its body resembled a creature of my species. Its ivory colored feet resembled hands, with a thumb and two fingers. It appeared to be wearing white shins adorned with dark, golden designs; however, this was actual shape of this creature's shins. Its legs appeared to be covered in scales and were colored a bright pink. It wore what appeared to be black briefs. Dark, purple chest armor protected its torso; sharp, golden spikes guarded its shoulders. Like its shins, it appeared to be wearing ivory armor from the elbows down. But, like its shins, that was the shape of its lower arms. Its hands mirrored its feet, only with one finger and pinkie added to the palms. It appeared to be wearing dark purple nail polish. Its head was rather large. Its face was white with pink scales on the sides; sharp, cold dark purple irises with pupils reduced to the size of slits gazed at me. It appeared to be wearing a white helmet with a purple center, and two black horns protruding from the sides. But that was the shape of its head. Last, a pink, scaly tail swished back and forth lazily.

Unlike most beings, this creature could breathe in the airless vacuum of space, just as the unknown being could. The reason behind this is because the force that captures others within its orbit created an atmosphere that allows others to breathe. The reason for this remains a mystery, even to this day.

I watched as the hated lizard-like being held its index finger in the air. Slowly, a small, bright orange pearl appeared at the tip of its finger. A moment later, the pearl began to grow, reaching the size of a large fiery star. I watched on in horror as the orb flew forwards, devouring the living being and the corpses. Soon, it crashed into the planet before me, slowly sinking inside. There was a short pause, before beams of light broke through the surface of that world. Within seconds, the planet blew apart, blinding me for a moment.

I covered my face, and waited for the blinding light to subside. Once it died down, I was devastated upon seeing the result. The entire planet was gone. My home had been destroyed.

"N-no…this cannot be…it is…" rage began to well up inside of my heart. My fingers enclosed on my palms, my knuckles turning white from the pressure I was exerting. _That bastard…he…he…my…he killed my… _My throat began to burn at the thought of her being dead and at his hands no less.

A moment later, the lizard-being teleported into the bridge. A small smile curled at its purple lips, giving it a feminine appearance.

"Greetings," its voice lacked masculinity, yet was scratchy and distasteful, "did you enjoy the show?"

My eyebrows narrowed into slits, "You bastard! You…y-you…" I extended my palm towards him, creating a ki beam. I was about to fire the blast at him, however, a thin pink stream shot from his finger, impaling my chest.

My heart stopped immediately; my knees buckled beneath me, causing me to fall to the hard floor. High pitched laughter stabbed at my eardrums. Black blotches ripped at my vision as my breathing came to a halt…and slowly…I faded into darkness…

**End of the prologue. Tell me your thoughts and I shall update soon…**


	2. Chapter 2

**And here is the next chapter. The POV changes in this chapter. Sorry if this chapter is too short. And thank-you for reviewing… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 1: Invitation **

"_Dreams are today's answers to_

_Tomorrow's questions_."

-Edgar Cayce

A vast, endless sea of black. Scattered upon the darkened quilt, silver diamonds cloaked in a bright ivory aura was added to the beauty. This place was void of air, making it impossible for most beings to survive without the proper equipment. It was further known as space, the gap between the many planets and galaxies within one universe.

One spherical, ivory colored sphere shot through the vast emptiness. Blue lightning swirled around its form as it moved, heading towards some unknown destination. It passed the stars and space clouds of varied colors without care. The sphere appeared to be a pod of some sort, carrying a passenger within. The door was quite large, taking up the front half and bottom of the pod. A hot-pink tinted window would allow one to view both inside and out. Oddly enough, there was a lack of an exhaust for the wastes created by the fuel of ship to be expelled.

Continuing onward, the pod eventually passed two medium sized planets. One was round, like most, and was a deep crimson with a fiery orange hue mixed in. The other was of the same shape; it was mostly a deep green with a dark purple hue. Moving faster then most spaceships, it broke through an invisible barrier, entering the orbit of the next planet. The metal ship passed the ivory moon of this world, slowly breaking through the different layers of hidden barriers before entering the atmosphere. At this point, the body was cloaked in both azure lightning and crimson and orange flames, heated by the outward changes. Still, it continued on.

The sky of this world was an azure blue, dotted with ivory clouds formed from evaporated water particles. A large city made up of tall, mostly white buildings lay below the fast-moving pod. The sphere did not make an attempt to slow, merely continuing at a fast pace. Descending upon the city, the pod narrowly avoided crashing into the ground by making a sharp turn, moving forward instead of downward. Strange beings known as humans looked upon the pod with shock and fear, wondering what it was. Injuries formed as the pod went crashing through the roads, destroying airborne vehicles and whatever else stood in its path.

Hordes of humans and anthropomorphic animals dodged the pod as it streaked through the city, going through buildings as though they were as soft as butter. Men and women alike leapt put of danger's path as the pod burst through another wall of another building, entering what appeared to be an sixty-story office building. After emerging from the last one, the pod continued over a long, clear blue lake. Slowly, it dipped into the water. Its speed did not decrease.

It eventually came to a rocky, brown cliff side. The pod broke straight through the earth, causing the forest beyond to shake violently as it broke through.

The scanners within the pod decided that it was time to stop, causing it to shoot upwards out of the ground. Debris fell as it flew into the air, slowing until it reached a complete stop. A second later, the claws of gravity took hold, dragging the pod downwards.

It landed on the edge of another cliff, teetering back and forth uneasily before falling.

An explosion sounded as the pod landed in the trees below, causing the forest to shake as a deep crater appeared in the small clearing.

Moments passed after the pod's landing, and finally, a low hiss sounded from the machine. The door clicked, and then slowly unfolded from spherical transporter. After a moment's hesitation, a small grown sounded from within the pod. A white, gloved hand shakily emerged, gripping the doorframe…

***

Clear azure blue, dotted with ivory clouds hung above the land. The golden sun illuminated the region, allowing the inhabitants to wake from their slumber and view the world around them. Birds took flight from the trees, soaring over a vast, green forest. The mountains lay in the distance, creating a gorgeous scene. Smoke hovered from the trees; some would assume that it was caused by a fire. That was true; however, the fire was under control. The pale grey smoke was coming from a chimney, which was attached to a small, wooden one-story house. The house was situated in a small clearing the center of the woods.

Standing in the front yard was a woman in her early to mid twenties. She bore long, black hair that was tied into a tight bun. Her bangs hung freely, but were cut so that her coal-black, yet sweet and motherly eyes could be seen. Two, long bangs hang at either side of her head. Her skin tone was relatively pale. The woman wore a pair of dark purple earrings. A dark purple, form-fitting sleeveless dress billowed in the breeze; it bore a turtle neck, and seemed to button closed. The dress was lined with dark gold. A dark, yellow sash was tied around her waist. A dark orange shawl was tied around her shoulders. Golden bracelets dangled around her wrists. Last, she wore dark purple slippers.

The woman cupped her hands over her lipstick covered mouth, and shouted a single word; "Goku! Gohan! Breakfast is ready!"

There was no reply. She huffed and shook her head, trying again, "Goku! Gohan! I said that breakfast is ready! Where are you?"

Strange. The mention of food always brought the males of the household running, especially her husband. His appetite was abnormal. Of course, everything else about him was abnormal as well. Their son had a strange liking for food too, although it was not as severe as his father. She knew that they were nearby, seeing as their son was prohibited from journeying too far into the woods; and a tree fell earlier, meaning her husband was out looking for firewood.

"Hey Chi-Chi!" a chipper male voice called from a distance. Beyond the field that preserved to grow vegetables appeared a young man, around the same age as his wife.

The man was lean; toned muscles adorned his body. His head was covered by messy, black spikey hair. The longer spikes were directed towards the left while the shorter conquered the right. His skin was darker in tone compared to the females. Dark, chocolate brown irises met coal-black ones. He wore a boyish grin as he approached his beloved wife. He wore a short sleeved, dark blue, cloth shirt that exposed his neck and collarbone for all to see. Matching bands wrapped around his wrists. A bright, fiery red-orange shirt with slightly shorter sleeves was placed over the dark blue one; it was low-cut, allowing the darkened undershirt to be seen. A dark blue sash was tied around his waist. He wore bright, fiery orange-red cloth pants, with short dark blue boots lined with crimson boots as footwear. He was carrying a large tree on his right shoulder.

Most would have been shocked by the man's strength; he carried the tree with ease, something a normal human could not do. But Chi-Chi had grown accustomed to the oddities that surrounded her spouse.

A small smile broke across her face as the man dropped the tree on the ground near the area where the kept the firewood. "Think you have enough firewood Goku?"

"Yup," he clapped his hands together, proud of his work. He looked at his wife, "Where's Gohan?"

She sighed and shook her head, "I don't know. Goku, could you find him for me? You two need to eat before you go to Master Roshi's," he seemed baffled. She rolled her eyes, "Remember? You were invited to go to his house today."

"Oh! Yeah, I'll go get Gohan," the man in red turned away from her, "he went to go play in the woods while I was getting firewood," a small chuckle escaped his throat, "he probably got lost."

The conversation ended abruptly as the sound of thunder roared from the forest. They both snapped their heads towards the direction just in time to watch as a group of trees was toppled easily. The two exchanged a look before Goku sprinted in the direction of the explosion, worried for the safety of his only son…

***

Deep within the forest, small cries could be heard. Bushes rustled as small boy, no older then five, appeared. His skin was pale. Fearful, coal-black irises glanced back and forth. He wore his medium length black hair in a ponytail. A bright yellow, sleeveless tunic with a turtle-neck billowed around his body, ending near his thighs. The turtle-neck was lined with red; a crimson colored kanji decorated the front. The long, dark green sleeves with white cuffs covered his arms. Last, he wore dark pants with black shoes as his footwear. Oddly enough, a brown, furry monkeylike tail protruded from his rear.

"Mommy! Daddy!" the little boy was on the brink of tears, wondering how he would find his house. This was furthest he had wandered, and he could not remember where the trail was. To make matters worse, he lost the keepsake his father had given him, along with his favorite hat.

The boy stumbled around, calling out for his parents as searched for the trail that would take him to safety.

He stopped as a strange sound echoed against his ears. Turning around, he found that there was a set of green bushes blocking his path. He slowly approached the bushes, and hesitantly, stuck his head through them. In a small clearing, he could see his favorite, bright red hat. Upon the hat sat a small, round ball. The ball was a light orange; it was decorated with four red stars.

"My hat!" he exclaimed merrily. The boy burst through the bushes and prepared to grab at his cap, only to come to a complete stop a second before he could grab it.

A large, light brown saber tooth tiger appeared from the trees, snarling at Gohan hungrily. The boy released a scream of terror, jerked around and sprinted away from the carnivorous feline.

"MOMMY! D-DADYY!" Gohan continued fleeing from the tiger, even though it was not chasing him.

Ran as fast as his small legs would could go, eventually tripping over himself and rolling down a grassy hill. He was lucky enough to avoid slamming into any trees, but ended up falling into a river instead. The boy fought to keep his head above water, screaming for aid from his parents. Obviously, neither one could hear their son's pleas.

The rough river eventually pulled Gohan inside of a cave, which was planted inside of a large cliff. Taking the sun from the boy did not help the situation. This only seemed to frighten him even more. The raven-haired child calmed when he saw the light at the end of tunnel, wondering where it would take him. His query was answered a moment later.

A scream of horror ripped through the air as Gohan came out on the other side, realizing that he was looking at a waterfall. Several feet below him was the forest. Gohan cried out as he fell, managing to land on a thick branch protruding from the cliff.

"DADDY!!!"

***

Meanwhile, while Gohan was screaming for the man of the house, Goku was leaping through the trees like a trained acrobat. The truth was, this man was taught the ways of manipulating ki and martial arts. Ki was the energy that every being possessed; even the planet possessed this energy. Some humans could harness their ki, mixing it with martial arts and become experienced fighters. Goku was one of the best, having lost few battles during his life. Despite his innocent nature, Goku had already witnessed many devastating events by the time he reached adulthood. He even saved his planet, Earth, from a power hungry tyrant named King Piccolo when he was merely a preteen.

The man clad in red landed on one of the remaining tree's branches, gazing at the clearing before him. There was a deep crater in the ground, causing him to wonder if a meteorite had hit.

He dropped to the forest floor, and carefully made his way to the indention. The raven-haired man bent onto one knee, then glanced inside.

There was a strange, spherical metal contraption sitting at the very bottom. The door of the machine was left wide open. Goku leapt into the crater and stuck his head inside of the ball. The inside was cushioned. A small chair made for one person could be seen. In the chair, there was a small remote.

_What _is _this thing? _He wondered as he stood up straight, scratching his head curiously.

Whatever had been inside had left from the looks of it. Deciding that there was nothing else to see, the full grown man leapt back onto the surface. He yelped with surprise as he found that someone was waiting for him.

"Whoa!" Goku jumped as he came face-to-face with another human.

A young woman whose age ranged in her early twenties was standing before him. Her skin bore a light tan. Both irises were a soft glacier blue that seemed to glitter in the sunlight. Long, messy dark rose-red hair cascaded down her back. Her sense of dress was odd. She wore a one-piece, dark blue spandex suit that seemed to cover every inch of her body. From the elbows down, her arms and hands were protected by ivory colored gloves. White armor kept her torso from suffering too much damage. Golden, sharp armor protruded from the white, keeping her shoulders in good condition. A white device was clipped onto her right ear; a dark sapphire-blue, translucent monocle extended from the contraption, covering her right eye as well. Ivory boots with golden, pointed tips acted as her footwear. He was even more surprised to see a black, catlike tail swished back forth.

A smile broke across his face, "Hey! I used to have a tail, too! I'm Goku, who're you?" He sounded like an excited child.

The female stared at him, her face showing confusion.

Goku cocked his head to the side like a confused puppy. It took him a moment, but he seemed to understand her hesitation, "You don't know?" Once again, she merely stared at him. He scratched his head, "Do you even know what I'm saying?"

The girl refused to respond to him, so Goku took that as a 'yes'.

Deciding to help her, the man pointed at himself, "_G-o-k-u._" he said slowly, hoping she would get the message. "Do you understand? Me, _G-o-ku._"

Realization dawned on her features, "G-G-o-k-u…" she repeated slowly. Her voice danced from her lips like a soft melody. "Goku?"

"Uh-huh," he nodded, "Goku!"

He took a moment to glance at the pod inside of the crater. _I bet she was inside that thing. But…who is she? And why does she have a tail, like I used to? _When Goku was younger, he had a tail just like hers, only it was dark brown rather then black. For some reason, someone cut it off, and he could not remember why. But it did grow back. Later, when the Earth's moon was destroyed, Goku went to the guardian of the planet to see if he could revive it. For some reason, the man said that he would only bring the moon back if Goku gave up his tail. Seeing no reason not to, Goku obliged without hesitation. It did not grow back afterwards. The skin where his tail once was healed over, so it was impossible to tell that it was even there.

_Hmm…maybe I'll take her to Bulma. She said that she was going to Master Roshi's too. She's really smart, so she might be able to figure something out. But first, I need to find Gohan. _

Goku caught the strange woman glancing past him, looking from him to the crater. She acted like a curious little girl.

"Be right back." Goku said as he began making his way to the crater once again. He hopped inside, landing directly in front of the pod. His hand retrieved the controller that was sitting carelessly on the seat. The man cocked his head to the side, not entirely sure what it would do. He was not well versed in technology, but from what he did know, this remote would control the ship.

_I wonder what'll happen if I do this. _His finger pressed one button into the remote. Without warning, the door Goku was standing on lifted upwards. "Wha-whoa!" the raven-haired man leapt off of it before it could shut on him. Excitement flooded into the man's heart. "Wow! That's so cool, it closed just because I pressed the weird button thingie!"He clicked another button, wondering what would happen. The man received his answer a moment later.

He watched as the ship slowly lifted into the air, and then shot upward. The pod flew in about ten circles before it made a sharp turn, and slammed into a faraway canyon. Slowly, the rocks tumbled downward.

"Uh…oops." _What Chi-Chi doesn't know won't hurt me. _He leapt onto the ground again, waiting to see the female's reaction. She merely stared at him, one eyebrow hiding behind her bangs. "Er…" he scratched the back of his head and dropped the remote, "…sorry about that."

She did not reply. _What a weird girl. Well…I guess I can't just leave her out here all by herself, can I? _

"Come on, we're going to my house, okay?" She stared at him. _Not the best choice of words. Okay, how about this. _"Me! Goku! _F-o-l-l-o-w!_" He pointed at himself, and then towards the direction of his house.

The girl gestured in the same direction, and he nodded. Without giving a single warning, she took off running through the trees. Goku was surprised by her speed, but he soon took off after her. The two sprinted through the forest, leaping through the trees.

Mere minutes passed as the pair appeared in the large clearing near Goku's house, running past the field and skidding to a stop. There, they found Chi-Chi doing the laundry. She was placing wet clothing on a thick string that was tied from one pole to another.

"Huh? Oh!" she was surprised by the girl's sudden appearance. Her eyes trained on her tail almost immediately, "A tail? Like Gohan?"

Unlike most people, Chi-Chi was not surprised to see that her son was born with a tail. She and Goku had met back when they were only twelve; at the time, the man had a tail of his own. She was surprised to see that someone else possessed a tail similar to her son's.

"Yeah, pretty cool huh?"

Chi-Chi shot him a curious look, "Who is she? Did she cause that explosion?"

"I think so," he nodded, "and we don't know, she can't speak our language. I found her near a weird looking machine." He explained.

His wife seemed to be uncomfortable with the information. Realization dawned in her eyes, "Hey Goku, why don't you take her to Bulma and see what she says? She does know a lot about everything related to science."

"That's what I was going to do."

Chi-Chi's nose wrinkled as she looked at the young woman. She was relieved that the other female could not understand what she was saying. "She will probably need some more clothes…and a bath, too," a small replaced the slightly disgusted look, "Please, come with me."

The woman blinked, starring at Chi-Chi as if she had grown a second head. She could not understand a single word that woman had just said. A smile spread across Goku's face, "Follow." He gestured to his spouse.

"Follow Goku?" the woman asked, pointing at the raven-haired woman.

He shook his head, "No," he aimed his finger at his wife, "_C-h-i-C-h-i_." he said slowly.

"C-h-i-C-h-i…" she whispered, and then her voice rose in volume, "Follow Chi-Chi?"

He nodded his head, "Uh-huh, follow Chi-Chi."

After receiving the command, the young woman followed the older female into their small house. Goku waited for the girls outside, turning towards the direction of her ship. He gazed at the general area for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, deciding that it was not very important.

While the man of the house was waiting outside, the ladies entered the small two-story home. Upon entering the building, Chi-Chi and the unknown girl came to the living room. There was a small couch with a bookshelf sitting nearby. A coffee table was placed in front of the couch; a rocking chair was not very far off. The room was relatively small. On the other side of the room, there was a table with three chairs placed around it. Beyond that, the girl could see a door. Where it led remained unknown to her. Last, she could see a set of wooden stairs.

"Come on." Chi-Chi gestured to the stairs as she moved towards them. The girl hesitated, but decided that it would be best to listen. Honestly, the raven haired woman was nervous to be around this strange female.

The stairs creaked as they made their way to the hallway that awaited them. In the hall, the girl could see three doors on the walls. Chi-Chi led the girl past one door, which appeared to be a five-year-old's bedroom. The next was a bathroom; she was not given a chance to examine it further. Chi-Chi came to a stop at the last door, quickly pushing it open.

It was a small room, obviously under the ownership of two full grown adults. There was a double-bed that was set low to the floor. A walk-in closet was filled with clothes, mostly dresses, suits, and an assortment of orange suits similar to what Goku was wearing. The dresser near the wall was filled with more clothing; what remained a mystery to the young woman. There was a mirror hanging on the wall. The room bore some oriental décor.

Chi-Chi made her way to the closet and began digging around inside, searching for the girl's new attire.

It took her a few minutes before she made her decision. She turned way from the walk-in closet and crossed the room, throwing open the drawers. She grabbed what would be needed before turning around and handing the clothing to the girl. The redhead looked at the clothing in her arms, baffled.

"Now, you just need a shower and then change into these new clothes, and I'll take care of your old ones." She gave the armor and spandex a strange look, wondering exactly where this woman hails from.

The redheaded female continued to stare at her, not quite understanding what the woman wanted her to do.

_Oh…she can't understand me. _"Follow Chi-Chi." The older woman said and marched out of the room. The girl followed her down the hallway, coming to a stop outside of the

bathroom…

***

Almost an hour passed as Goku awaited the girls. Boredom eventually took over, and the man decided to call on his usual mode of transportation, the strange nimbus cloud. It was a small, puffy yellow cloud that would descend from the sky and allow the man to ride it as though it were a surfboard.

He hopped on and began performing an assortment of stunts and tricks, quickly riding himself of boredom.

While flying upside-down, laughing like an excited child, Goku noticed two figures exit the house.

"They're done already?" the raven-haired man did a back-flip, dropping to the lush ground below. He landed directly in front of Chi-Chi and the strange woman. "Hi'ya!" he said with a cheerful wave.

Chi-Chi jumped a little before realizing just who she was gazing at. She narrowed her eyes, "Don't scare me like that Goku!" she scolded, annoyed by her husband's antics. Her frown vanished as she turned to the young female, "So, what do you think?"

Goku turned his gaze on the other woman.

Her new attire was completely different then the first. When he last saw her, she was equip for battle. Now, she appeared to be a regular girl. She wore a pure white kimono with designs of the crimson lycoris flower sewn in to the silk. Ivory tabi covered her feet along with light brown sandals. Her red hair was clean rather slicked with grease; she smelled better, too.

"Looks okay to me." he said with a light shrug, not having much of an opinion on the matter.

Chi-Chi approached her husband and handed him the strange monocle the woman had been wearing, "Bulma might want to take a look at this, too. Now…wait a minute…" she glanced back and forth, her eyebrows narrowing with each passing second, "…where's Gohan!?"

"Oh yeah," Goku seemed to have come to the same realization, although he was not as annoyed as his significant other, "I forgot to pick 'em up. I'll do that now," he looked at the young woman, "Hey, come on!"

Now the raven-haired woman was becoming frantic, "But what about your breakfast?"

Goku showed the woman to the nimbus cloud, urging her to sit down. He turned to his wife, a carefree grin on his face, "We'll eat when we get there," he climbed on and waved to her, "See'ya later!" And before she could say another word, the cloud ascended into the azure blue sky…

**And I'm ending the chapter here. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	3. Chapter 3

**And here is the next chapter. Thank-you for reviewing. I like going into detail, especially when detailing a character's appearance. Sorry if this chapter is too short. **

**This chapter will focus more on canon story a little, but soon my OC will become a more prominent character. And the story should focus more on my character soon. **

**Sorry for the long author's note, but I did make some changes to my fic's plot, thus the main OC's appearance has changed accordingly. She now has long chocolate-black with a dark purple tint. Her skin is tanned and her eyes are still glacier blue. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 2: Invader **

"_A poet, before anything else, is_

_A person who is passionately in love with words_."

-W.H. Auden

A suffocating pool of never ending darkness seemed to master this world. Glittering diamonds were scattered throughout the black sheet. A familiar streak of azure blue broke through the darkness, soaring downwards. With incredible speed, it passed two planets, one a dark purple and green while the other a perfect crimson. It zipped past an ivory moon, ripping through the barrier that separated it from the atmosphere of the oncoming planet.

Seams in the blue glow would allow one to view the object inside. A spherical silver pod with a hot pink window carved into the door. The murky darkness slowly faded into a cheerful sky-blue with puffy white clouds dotting its surface rather then silver crystals.

Below the pod awaited a vast green field. Near the field there was a simple country farm. Strange, pink fouls wandered the land without a care in the world. Not too far off, there was a windmill. A crimson barn was placed across from the windmill several yards away. In the background, one could see the white and blue mountains protruding from the land. A serene air devoured this land.

Unfortunately, it came to an end as the pod descended upon the farm. Landing in the open field, the spherical metal plowed into the dirt. Clouds of dirt and debris were propelled into the air by the sheer force of the landing. Smoke swirled in the air above the deep crater that had been left from the pod, which was sitting in the dead center of the hole.

In the distance, there was a short man, standing near his barn. He was quite round. His skin was deeply tanned, a sign that he spent most of his time in the sun. He wore blue denim overalls over his short-sleeved, stripped red shirt. Dark brown boots protected his feet. A straw hat covered his head. His short, messy black hair was soaked with sweat after working in the heat all day.

He was gazing at the sight with utter shock. _What the Hell was that? _Without further hesitation, he sprinted to his old blue truck. He threw the door open and hopped into the driver's seat, pulling his keys out of his pocket and starting the ignition. He grabbed the wheel, switched gears, and slammed on the pedal, causing the truck to fly forward.

Instead of fleeing and calling for aid, the vehicle sped straight to the source of his worries.

He narrowly avoided running his precious foul down with the truck as he frantically made his way to the crash site.

The truck skidded to a stop as he slammed on the brakes, almost hitting his head against the wheel. He shoved the door open and leapt out, quickly moving to the back. _Whatever it is, better get 'meh peashooter. _His hands snatched the shotgun he kept in the back of the truck. Carefully, he made his way towards the smoking crater. Without warning, a strange, loud clicking sound echoed from within the hole. The farmer came to a stop midway between the crater and his truck. A strange sound could be heard, slowly drawing out and eating away at the frightened man's nerves. One more second passed and then it ceased. _What the Hell is going on? _

Silently, he listened to the sound of what resembled footsteps. _Is somethin' down ther'? _He jumped as something levitated from within the crater. _WHAT THE HELL!? _

A large creature appeared from within the crater. The being resembled a human closely; however, its appearance was quite different from what would be considered normal. Its body was very masculine, so one could determine that it was male. Its muscles were toned like a bodybuilder. His long, spiked black hair cascaded down his back, passing his waistline by only a few inches. Dark, cold chocolate-brown irises glanced back and forth. His skin was between light and dark. A strange, ivory device mounted his left ear; a dark green monocle extended from the machine, covering the eye. Black armor lined with ivory protected his torso from harm. Pointed, golden pads hung over his shoulders. A white ban was tied around his left upper arm. Leather, black gauntlets lined with white covered his lower arms, just below the elbows. A golden crotch guard, which was formed from three golden, armored flaps. Two covered his hips while one extended over the area that was meant to be protected. It appeared as though he was wearing a furry brown belt, but the truth was that the 'belt' was actually his tail, coiled around his waist so that it would not be exposed. His pants consisted of a pair of black mini-shorts, revealing his muscular legs. A white band was tied around his left thigh. Last, he wore a pair of black short boots lined with ivory.

"Hmmm…this doesn't seem right…" his voice was rough, and he appeared to be concentrating on something other then the farmer.

He reached up and pressed a small button the white device mounted on his left ear. A beeping sound echoed from it as strange characters appeared, rapidly moving about.

"The power levels on this planet are pathetic," he groaned, eyes narrowed as if he were annoyed, "Kakarot…what have you been doing all this time?"

His short rant came to an abrupt halt as another beep sounded from his device. He turned his attention to the shape on his monocle, allowing his eyes to search for it. He found the small farmer standing nearby, gazing at him with fear in his eyes.

"Five?" he chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief, "Such a weak power level! Kakarot, as an infant, your power level was higher then this! How can these creatures…?"

The farmer, now frightened by the strange man's rambling, decided to make a stand, "You s-stay away from me! I'm warning 'ya…I-I'll use this thing!" he cocked the barrel of the gun at the strange man.

"You will, will you?" the raven-haired man chuckled. He took a step forward, "Go ahead."

The farmer slowly backed away, "I m-mean it…!"

"Really? Oh, I'm scared now." the man was mocking him. Despite having the barrel of a shotgun aimed at his head, he was treating the little farmer as if he were a joke.

The strange man took a few more steps forward before the farmer finally fired a shot at him. With ease, the stranger caught the flying bullet with his bare hand. He glanced at the now crushed bullet. "Pathetic."

The stranger flicked the pathetic piece of lead back at the farmer, causing it to pierce the man's chest. The old man flew backwards, slamming into his truck. The force of the blow was enough to damage the bumper. Blood trickled down his overalls.

The man threw his head back and cackled, "These humans are such fragile creatures aren't they?" There was another beep. He glanced at it. _A strong power level? Hmm…not too strong…but it might be him. _He kicked into the air and ascended into the sky, speeding off in a random direction…

***

Maybe taking off without giving her a warning was a bad idea. That very thought would have occurred to most, but Goku merely chuckled at her reaction.

Seconds after the nimbus cloud ascended into the sky, the mysterious woman's arms clutched the raven haired man's leg, almost cutting off the circulation. She was squealing as though someone were trying to murder her. Obviously, she and heights were not on good terms. Goku lowered the nimbus cloud slightly, patting her head so that she would calm down.

"Are you okay?" she nodded her head, relaxing a little. Her grip remained around his leg, though.

"Good." Satisfied with her change in attitude, Goku continued his search for his only child.

Goku handled every situation he encountered with stride. Rarely would he stress over certain matters. Chi-Chi was another story entirely. She would burst a blood vessel if her husband could not locate their missing child.

The yellow cloud shot through air, allowing Goku a better view of the surrounding forest.

"Hmmm…where'd the little tyke go?" He glanced back and forth, shielding his face from the bright sunlight with one hand as he did so.

"D-D-DADDY!!!"

A scream of terror caught the male's attention. He snapped his head in the direction of the cry, locating the source immediately. Hanging from a branch that protruded from a nearby cliff side was none other then Gohan. With ease, the flying nimbus slowly hovered towards the branch, with Goku smiling at his five-year-old son.

"DADDY!!! DADDY!!!" the child cried, tears stinging his eyes as he clung to the wood.

The flying nimbus came to a halt in front of Gohan. The young female who was perched on the fluffy ball cocked her head to the side like a curious puppy. She reached out and poked Gohan's forehead, causing him to open his eyes and look straight at her.

"Huh?" he sniffled as he looked up, meeting his smiling father's gaze, "Daddy!" he cried with relief, lunging at the older male.

The man the household embraced his son, chuckling, "Been having fun."

"No…" the boy moved to sit on his father's arm. He looked down at the girl, "…who's she?"

The man clad in red shrugged, "Dunno," completely disregarding how strange his reply would seem to a normal person, Goku went straight to the point, "Wanna meet my friends?"

"Uh-huh!" Stress seemed to evaporate completely as Gohan was excited by the idea of meeting the people that his father spoke so fondly of. He would always tell his son stories of his adventures as a child, filling his mind with wonder as to who these comrades were.

"Alright," He set Gohan in front of the woman before joining them, resting his rear-end on the yellow cloud, "Hold on tight!"

The woman, who was gazing at Gohan with a curious expression on her face, clutched the toddler as the puffy form of transportation sped forward, disappearing into the sea of azure blue…

***

The golden sun burned the ground, causing the environment to match a fully heated oven. Bone dry desert made up the land. Tall pillars of rock protruded from the ground. Deceased shrub fell to pieces as a soft breeze began the graceful waltz across the sizzling ground. Most would come to the assumption that this was the tangible form of the name 'valley of death'. However, some life possessed the ability to survive the hardships that the unforgiving heat causes.

Standing on one such pillar was a familiar shape. The being bore a masculine human appearance, alluding to its gender. But certain differences would surprise others. The man's skin was a dark forest green. Random patches of pink scales made up his arms, lined with a deep crimson. A baggy, sleeveless purple shirt covered his chest and stomach; he wore a matching pair of long pants. A sash the color of dark blue was tied around the man's waist. Orange-brown, leather shoes protected his feet from the scorched ground. Tattered, ivory cloth that had been wrapped around his shoulders billowed in the wind. The cloak made his shoulders seem pointed, increasing the man's intimidation factor. A white turban with a dark purple tip was added to his head. Hard black irises gazed at the wasteland before him. He bore sharpened ears. A pair of antenna protruded from his forehead. His nails were sharpened into deadly talons.

The green man seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, contemplating something important.

_How can I raise my power level? _One clawed finger stroked his green chin in thought. _What could I be missing!? _

His heart was drowning in an ocean of vengeance as his mind continued to dwell on one person. The one man who managed to defeat both his father and himself. _Goku. _At the age of fifteen, the strange man managed to defeat the most powerful being on Earth: King Piccolo. Three years later, he managed to conquer the man clad in purple in the last World Tournament.

Now, five years later, he was still bent on eliminating this obsession that continued to haunt his every thought. The only solution would be Goku's demise. _But how? I doubt that I'm strong enough to defeat him on my own… _

The man by the name of Piccolo, the same label that his father once held, jumped as a strange sensation impaled his heart. He jerked around, frantically searching for the source. His skin prickled as a rise in power seemed to surround him. "What the…? That…that can't be Goku!" The power he felt was too powerful to belong to such a weak hearted man. It was…angry…hateful.

A black dot appeared in the sky, slowly growing bigger and bigger until Piccolo realized that it was a man. The unknown man skidded to a stop in midair and dropped to the ground directly across from Piccolo. He wore revealing black and gold attire. Long, spikey black hair pillowed in the wind. The man reached upwards, touching the white device that connected with a dark green monocle.

"Hmmm…you're not him…" the man mumbled in a rough yet calm voice.

Piccolo's hard and unforgiving tone resembled a hostile animal, "Who the Hell are you?" He spat angrily.

"And you power level is too weak now that I get a good look." The raven haired man continued.

That struck a cord. Piccolo's eyes narrowed dangerously, "_What _did you just say!?"

Instead of replying, the man who was the closest to normalcy turned away from him. This only seemed to anger Piccolo further. A low growl echoed from the back of his throat. "Don't ignore me!"

"Hm?" he turned back to the green man, a bored expression on his face. A grin curled at the corners of his lips, "Or what?" He challenged.

Excitement caused the pace of the strange man's heart to quicken. _Maybe I can get a chance to test my power on this guy. _He extended his dark green and pink arm towards the long haired man. Manipulating the ki deep inside of his body, a ball of golden light formed in his palm. Ki was the energy that inhabited all beings; even the planets themselves possessed this power source. Everyday humans struggle to harness their ki, but beings such as Piccolo and Goku could make use of it with ease. Some humans had the rare ability to control their ki; whether they explored their power was up for debate.

The golden sphere shot forward, engulfing the raven haired man. Debris and smoke swirled around his form, pleasing the green man. He waited patiently for the smoke to recede. Shock twisted his features as he came to the realization that his attack was ineffective against the newcomer.

"Oh my," the raven haired man waved his hand, dismissing some of the remaining mist, "you've managed to singe some of my leg hairs." His tone dripped with sarcasm.

Piccolo continued to gawk at him, his jaw slack as he gazed at the superior warrior. One arm bent, causing the man's arm to aim at the sky above them. "Now, its _my _turn," a small ivory orb the size of a marble formed in the center of his open palm, "I call this one, 'Keep Your Eye On The Birdie'."

Fear gripped Piccolo's heart. The urge to flee attempted to seize his body, but he remained rooted to the ground.

_This guy…he's not human! _Just as the blast began to take on its final form, it slowly melted away. A beeping noise echoed around them. The oddly dressed man glanced at the dark green monocle, a curious expression on his face. "Huh? A higher power level?" Without pause, he kicked into the air.

"W-what the…?" Piccolo watched as he hovered a few feet above him, eyes focused on the odd device. He mumbled something too low to hear before heading towards a direction that lay in the north.

Piccolo's beating heart began to ease, his body releasing the breath that was once caught in his throat. _What…was that?_

**And I'm cutting off here. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank-you for reviewing. And yes, Gohan's day is going to continue get worse. Like I said, the fic will revolve around my still unnamed OC soon. Please be patient with me. Anyway, here is the next chapter…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 3: Relaxation **

"_A single rose can be my garden_…

_A friend_, _my world_."

-Leo Buscaglia

Joyous laughter echoed through the air. The pale yellow flying nimbus continued to soar across the sky. Goku stood on the fluffy cloud with his young son, Gohan, perched on his arm. The mystery woman mirrored his stance, a wide smile spread across her face. Although nervous at first, she seemed to warm up to the idea of flying quite nicely.

After five years of silence, Goku received a letter from his old friend, Bulma Brief.

He was invited to a party that would reunite his old friends.

Hours passed as the trio fly across the land, enjoying the sensation the wind caused as it caressed their bodies. Soon earth melted into a vibrant blue liquid, glimmering beautifully in the golden sun. A horde of seagulls flew by as the nimbus cloud soared across the ocean, kicking up a torrent of water as it moved faster then sound itself.

Minutes passed as the raven haired man scanned the sea for his target. His smile broadened when he came upon a familiar dot floating in the center of the ocean.

"Hey I see it!" he announced, gesturing to the small island with his free hand.

As if it understood his words, the flying nimbus slowed and lowered itself. Once close enough, Goku hopped onto the dry land, still holding his five-year-old son. With his unoccupied palm, he grabbed the strange woman's hand and pulled her off of the flying nimbus. She glanced around, scanning the new surroundings.

The island was hardly worth noting, considering its small size. The ground was covered in sand, with some vibrant green grass protruding from the tiny pebbles near the center. Palm trees loomed above the trio, all of which produced deep brown coconuts. A small, two-story white wooden house with a crimson shingle roof was set in the middle of the island. In bright red letters on the upper half, the name 'Kame House' was painted onto the wood. A porch with three steps led to the front door of the house, which was open.

"Hey, anybody home?" Goku called, alerting the others to his presence.

Seconds after hearing his voice, the very person who invited the abnormal man appeared in front door. Twenty-seven-year-old Bulma Briefs flashed a wide smile at the younger being. Her teal tresses had been cut so that they would not pass her ears. Bright, aqua-blue irises gazed into his chocolate colored ones. She wore a sleeveless, low-cut dark blue shirt. A long-sleeved, ivory jacket with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows was added. A belt made of ebony leather was looped around her ivory shorts. Dark blue socks and shoes as dark as mud covered her feet.

"Goku!" she moved, allowing a male duo to exit the small wooden building.

One was a short man. Guessing from his appearance, he might have been a year older then the raven haired male. His bald head reflected the sun. Six pale dots lined the center of his forehead. Friendly, black irises gazed at the taller man. He wore the same attire as Goku, the difference being that it was orange rather then a fiery orange-red. His name was Krillin.

A man whose face was lined with age stood beside the younger human. Like the man before him, his head was clear of all tresses. Although his loss of hair was due to age rather then choice. A long pointed pure white beard hung from his chin; two mustache protruded from the flesh between his upper lip and nose like a set of wings. Black tinted sunglasses hid his eyes from view. A baggy dark green tee-shirt covered his torso while bright yellow knee-length shorts hid his skinny legs. Brown sandals acted as his footwear. He carried a wooden walking stick with his right hand and was hunched over as though he had back problems. His body was lean and scrawny; unfit for battle in every sense of the word.

However, the old man standing before Goku was not just an aged male. He was known as Master Roshi; a talented martial artist that has lived longer then a majority of Earth's population. He was the teacher of the Goku and the bald man, thus explaining the similarity in attire.

"Hey guys." Goku waved at his old friends while cradling the toddler with his other arm.

The woman with purple tinted hair glanced around his shoulder, starring at the trio with a curious expression on her face.

"Uh Goku…who's the kid?" the bald man's face brightened when he saw the woman, "and the girl?" but then the smile melted away, "Babysitting her kid or something?"

The raven haired male glanced at his female companion, and then shrugged, "Don't know. But this is my son."

"YOU'RE SON!?" Their jaws fell as they exclaimed in unison, shocked by the idea of innocent Goku producing a child. Throughout the years they have known him, Goku has always been completely oblivious to the opposite gender. They knew that he was married, which was a surprise on its own, but the fact that he was now a father was another story entirely.

The man clad in red placed the small child on the sandy ground, patting his head once both hands were freed, "Yeah, pretty wild huh?"

Being one of the first to fully recover from the initial shock, Bulma cooed at the small boy, "Oh Goku he's adorable!"

"Go on Gohan," his father urged, "Say hi."

The shy child nodded to his father and fully faced the others. He gave them a polite bow, his voice shaky as he spoke, "Hello…everyone." They had the courtesy to return his kind gesture, muttering a greeting as they did so.

A large sea tortoise crawled towards the youngest male; a smile curled at its sharp mouth.

"So you named him after you grandfather, did 'ya?" old man Roshi locked gazes with the small boy, "I'm sure he would be proud."

The twenty-seven-year-old woman crouched down in front of the raven haired child; a smile decorated the lower half of her face. "So Gohan, how old are you?"

He opened his palm, revealing all five of his fingers, "Four and a half."

"Are you gonna be a brave fighter like your dad?" she poked at the crimson colored hat that was perched on top of his tiny head.

Instead of the boy answering her, it was his father, "Well, Chi-Chi doesn't let him train."

"Oh," she turned her attention back to the young lad, "No martial arts, huh? So what _do_ you wanna be when you grow up?"

Without missing a beat, he replied to her query, "An orthopedist."

"Wow," she was surprised that a boy his age could even pronounce the name of the occupation he desired, "an orthopedist…huh…"

Gohan inched away from the nosey sea creature, while the silent newcomer loomed over the brown colored creature.

"So…" Bulma turned her attention to the woman. Said female was standing over the tortoise, starring at it as though it were an odd species of insect. "…who is she again?"

Goku replied with a shrug, as before, "Don't know. I just found her out in the woods this morning."

"So your letting a woman you don't know follow you around?" The bald male asked.

He nodded, "Yup."

Neither of his comrades were surprised to hear this. They had grown accustomed to the enigma known as Goku.

"She hasn't said a word since you guys got here." the teal-haired woman muttered, one eyebrow arched upward.

Goku watched as the tortoise allowed the unnamed woman to stroke his head before prodding at Gohan, asking him to do the same. "She can't talk."

"She's mute?"

He shook his head, "No. She screamed when I first put her on the flying nimbus, so I guess that means she _can _talk, she doesn't know our _how._"

"Does Chi-Chi know she's here?" the bald man asked.

His taller friend nodded his head, "Yeah. She gave her that kimono. Oh and Bulma," Goku fished the darkened monocle from his pocket and handed it to said woman, "Can you take a look at this? She was wearing it when I found her."

"Sure, but what is this thing?" she began turning the object over in her hand, examining it closely.

"Dunno." Was his predictable reply. Goku was not well versed in technology; unlike the female before him, he never received a formal education. His grandfather taught him to read and write and he knew how to count, but everything else remained a mystery to him.

"So she doesn't have a name?" Master Roshi watched as she played with Gohan and the tortoise, a look of pure bliss on her face.

"Not that I'm aware of." His pupil crossed his arms over his chest.

The first male Roshi trained cocked his head to the side as if he had just noticed something, "Hey, is it just me or does both Gohan and that woman have a tail?"

A look of pure horror contorted the trio's face. Goku nodded his head, oblivious to his friend's reaction, "Yeah. Gohan was born with a tail like me. I guess that it's the same for the woman."

"But Goku…so has Gohan ever…ya'know?" Bulma gave him a look.

He did not seem to notice, "Know what?"

Roshi moved to the other side of his youngest pupil, the same expression etched into his old cracked face, "She means, 'has Gohan ever looked at the moon when it was full'?"

"No, not that I know of," this seemed to worry the duo even more, "we all go to bed pretty early."

With this information in mind, the two calmed.

Krillin moved to stand by his friend's side, "Hey isn't it weird that you, Gohan, and that woman were all born with a tail?" His point seemed to reach Roshi and Bulma, yet Goku seemed to be as confused as ever, "Wouldn't that mean that she might be a relative of yours?"

"You have a good point…" Bulma muttered, a thoughtful expression on her face. No-one knew who his relatives were other then his grandfather. But from what Goku had told them, his grandfather did not have a tail.

Krillin crossed his arms over his chest, "Well, Gohan is pretty different from you when you were a kid, Goku."

"I know…" his lifelong friend seemed to be dismayed by the shorter male's words, "…she can be really strict when it comes to Gohan,"

A small crab crawled onto the tortoise's back. The adults watched as the woman observed a 'rock paper scissors' match between Gohan and the small sea creature.

"She makes him study all the time and says that martial arts are a waste of energy."

This seemed to offend his comrade, "Oh yeah? So what does that make us?"

"Now, now, settle down," Roshi ordered in a light tone, "You can't expect everyone to agree with what you're doing. It would be all too easy then."

Bubbles escaped the irate crab's mouth and engulfed Gohan's face. It was angered by the fact that a human child managed to defeat it in a game of 'rock paper scissors'. The woman backed away, a look of surprise on her face.

Mirth filled laughter escaped from old man Roshi's throat at the sight, "Watch out, he might pinch 'ya Gohan! That crabs a mighty sore loser!"

Little Gohan and his newfound female friend returned to Goku's side, both of them content with the situation. "That's neat," the blue-eyed woman bent down, eyeing the ball on Gohan's hat with interest, "That's a real dragon ball on your hat," she glanced up at the father, "Isn't it?"

"Yeah," he poked at the hat with his index finger, "The four-star ball. Took me forever to find it, but I wanted Gohan to have it since it used to belong to my grandfather," he paused, "I've been collecting dragon balls for fun. I've got the three-star ball and the six-star ball too! They're at home."

The older of the two adults was impressed. It was their wish to collect these strange artifacts known as 'dragon balls' when Bulma was a teenage girl and when Goku was an adolescent boy.

"That's pretty cool," she looked upwards at the deep blue sky, "It's wild to think of all the crazy adventures we used to trying to find those things."

Krillin stooped down and retrieved a pebble from the ground, "Yeah really," he pulled his arm back and launched the pebble forward; it skidded across the salty liquid. "So Goku, what're you planning to wish for when you get 'em all?" He asked casually.

"That's a good question," he snatched a pebble from the ground and toyed with it for a moment, "Come to think of it, I don't want anything." He chucked the stone; it sailed across the waters until it completely vanished from their peripheral vision. Krillin and Bulma were sure that it had flown across the ocean and to the waiting desert beyond. Maybe further then that. Goku had always been gifted with abnormal strength.

"Your still one bad dude, Goku!" the bald man cheered, impressed with his friend's strength. One would think that after settling down, he would have grown weaker. But it was the exact opposite.

Tension filled the air as a troubled expression swam across the raven haired man's face.

"What is it Goku?" Roshi knew that something was wrong. He knew how to read his pupil as if the man were an open book.

"Something's coming."

Unsure of his words, Bulma began looking around the island, "Are you sure Goku?"

"I'm positive! I've never felt a power like this before."

His classmate seemed to be on guard as well, "I can feel it too." From the look on the strange woman's face, she seemed to sense the unwelcome presence as well. She bared her teeth and began looking back and forth; her eyebrows were knitted together in uncertainty.

_I've never sensed anything like this before! Where's it coming from? _All seemed well, but the tension in the air said otherwise. The gang continued scanning for anything that seemed misplaced. A moment later, Goku spotted a small speck in the sky, "Look, up there!" He gestured upwards. It was growing at an alarming rate.

"I see it!" Roshi announced, holding up his staff like it were a weapon.

The dot took shape until it was obvious that it was a person. "Who is that?"

Krillin cupped his hands over his eyes in an attempt to shield the sun from his eyes, "That can't be Piccolo, can it?"

As soon as he was finished speaking, the answer to his query landed on the beach in front of them. It was a tall muscular man adorned in revealing black and gold armor. His pants consisted of a pair of deep ebony skin-tight mini shorts. Black and gold boots covered his feet while gauntlets of the same color protected his lower arms. His long spikey black hair reminded Goku of a hedge hog. For some reason, his facial structure was eerily familiar. But none of them could understand why…

**End of this chapter. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	5. Chapter 5

**And now for the next chapter. Its time for a name to accompany my main OC's face and a quick little (obvious) look into her past. More on her past will be revealed as the story goes on…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 4: Kidnapped **

"_A man who won't die for_

_Something is not fit to live._"

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

A beeping noise echoed from the dark green monocle covering his left eye. Gohan moved to stand behind his father's leg; a fearful expression on his face. A chuckle escaped his lips, "So we meet again at last," he paused as the noise coming from the strange device ceased, "You've grown up."

"Huh?" His words confused Goku. He knew that the man was speaking to him, considering that he was starring directly at him.

"I recognize you though, Kakarrott." He continued on.

Goku cocked his head to the side, "K-a-k-a-r-r-o-t-t?" The name was unfamiliar to him.

"That's right. That's your name." The man seemed confident in the information that he was revealing to them.

Krillin seemed to disagree. Using his index finger, he made a twirling motion around his ear while gesturing to the strange man with other hand. "He must be nuts." He whispered low enough that only Goku and Gohan could hear him.

Either the man ignored him or did not hear. He began scolding Goku as if he had forgotten to do as he was told, "Kakarrott! What have you been doing here? Your mission was to terminate all life on this planet. Why haven't you carried it out?"

"Uh…?" Goku looked to Master Roshi, who already migrated to the safety of his front porch. The old man was at a loss for words.

Deciding to defend his friend, Krillin stepped forward. "Listen mister. I don't know who you are but you obviously got the wrong guy," The stranger was amused by the shorter man's bravery or his stupidity. Krillin flapped his hand at the muscular man, "Shoo, shoo," he continued approaching him with a sarcastic smile on his face, "I think you've been dippin' in the eggnog," a beeping sound echoed from the strange device on his face, "Allow me to escort you off of the…"

The poor man never managed to finish his sentence.

Without warning, the furry belt around the man's waist unclasped itself. It struck Krillin across the cheek and propelled him backwards. His body connected with the wall; a deep hole was left from the impact and Krillin was hidden within the jagged wood.

"You-AH!" Goku was about to attack the man for assaulting his friend, but he was caught off guard by the fact that the 'belt' was actually a dark brown tail. "A tail!? He's got a tail too!"

The long haired man's tail swished back and forth as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Good. I was wondering how long it would take for you to recognize me."

"What're you-I…" he began pushing at Gohan in an attempt to move the boy away from him. It would not go in his favor if a fight broke out while Gohan was so close to him. "…I've never seen you before!"

Bulma caught the message. She rushed forward and tore the five-year-old from his father's leg and carried him towards the house.

"Hmph…I can't believe…huh?" for the first time, the man examined the small island they were located one. A look of pure shock danced across his face when his eyes connected with the unknown woman. "Z-Zelena?" The initial shock wore off quickly. A grin curled at his lips, "You're still alive? Well, I never imagined that I would find you in a place like this."

The woman seemed uncertain. She stared at the man as if he were speaking a foreign language.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" he taunted. Still, he did not receive an answer.

"Leave us alone!" Goku snapped, now fed up with this strange man's presence. "I don't know who you are, so go away!"

The older male seemed to be annoyed as well. "Kakarrott," he growled in a deep aggravating tone, "You mean to tell me you had no idea who I am?" He turned his gaze to the dark haired female, "And what about you, Zelena? Why won't you speak to me? Are you mute or something?"

"I don't know who Kakarrott is, and it's obvious that she doesn't know you either," the younger man was not about to give in, "My name's Goku!"

A look of sheer disgust crossed his face, "What happened to the both of you? You're acting no better then the rest of these Earthlings and Zelena thinks she's an animal." He gestured to her. She was crouched on the ground in an awkward position bearing her teeth like a dog. The kimono made it difficult for her to move.

Gohan broke free from Bulma's grasp and ran to his father, clutching his leg for protection. "Gohan stay back!" The raven haired man ordered as he pushed at his son.

"Kakarrott," he turned his attention back to the unknown man while Bulma tried to help pry Gohan off of his leg. As if understanding what they were trying to do, the irate woman grabbed at the boy's shoulders and helped Bulma pull him from harm's way. Once they were both near the house, she resumed the low growling sound she had been making earlier.

The black haired man used his index finger to gesture at his forehead, "Have you ever suffered a serious blow to the head when you were young?"

"What?"

He was becoming aggravated with this conversation, "When you were a child did you ever hit your head!?"

"Uh…eh…" he glanced back and forth with a nervous expression on his face.

"Did you hear me!?" the older male snapped and clenched his fists.

"Yeah!"

Absentmindedly, Goku stroked the scar that was hidden by his raven colored hair, "I don't remember it very well but your right; I did hit my head when I was a child."

"Tch…"

"I still have a scar where it happened, too." He added, although the information was not very important.

Even though he received his answer, he was not very pleased, "You stupid fool you forgot," he turned his attention to the woman, "Let me guess, you both tripped and clunked your heads together? It's very convenient that the both of you would hit your heads and lose your memories. Of course that doesn't explain why you're silent. I was sure you were capable of speech when you were an infant."

"Forgot what? And how do you know her!? Tell me!" Goku's blood began to boil. He was sick of this man and was prepared to do anything to get rid of him.

"Goku."

Both men looked towards the porch. Master Roshi slowly climbed down; he shook his head and sighed. "There's something your grandfather once told me that I think you should know," he climbed off of the steps and fixed his star pupil with a rare serious gaze, "Long ago, your grandpa Gohan was walking through the woods when he came upon a crater that had been recently made in the ground. When he went to examine it more closely, he found what appeared to be a spaceship. And next it, there you were, lying in a little round pod. Gohan tried to take care of you. But you were wild. Downright uncontrollable! And unusually powerful for a baby. You wanted nothing to do with Gohan's kindness. Then, one day, there was a terrible accident. You fell into a ravine and injured your head. At first, your grandfather feared that he had lost you, but miraculously you managed to recover. From that day on, you became a happy loving boy."

There was a pregnant pause after the old man finished his story. "So…I'm from out of space?" He did seem surprised, although he was also willing to accept his words. It was no surprise that he was, considering how strange the cogs in his mind turned anyway.

"Yes."

But Roshi was surprised to hear Bulma's reaction. "Well that would explain a lot," she sounded very casual, "So maybe Goku does have a connection with this guy? And what that 'Zelena'?" Now, she did not seem to trust the woman anymore. Bulma spoke the name with a little venom. "How did you find her again?"

"I found her standing outside of a round spaceship," Goku explained quickly, "she was wearing clothes similar to that guy's, only her whole body was covered in blue spandex. She was wearing that weird device that I gave you, too."

She glanced at her pocket, where the strange monocle was resting.

"Alright," Goku returned to the earlier conversation. The woman who was now dubbed as 'Zelena' was still angered yet she seemed baffled as well. She could not understand a word of this conversation. "You got my attention. Tell us who you are!"

Earlier annoyance melted away. Now he was just bored. His tail twitched as he sighed, looking upwards the sky, "Well I wasn't expecting to give a history lesson today," he closed his eyes and grinned proudly, "But I'll tell you everything," there was another pause as he opened his eyes, "After all you and Zelena are going to be working for me from now on and I do like my subordinates to be well informed." His tail fastened itself around his waist again.

The sound of shattering would could be heard as Krillin regained consciousness and slowly crawled out of the wall. He was covered in cuts and bruises from head to toe. His lip was busted as well; allowing crimson blood to trickle down his chin.

"You alright?" Asked Goku out of worry for his lifelong friend.

He seemed to recover from his injuries nicely, "Yeah. Be careful Goku! This guy isn't…normal."

"I know…I could tell ever since he landed. Something about him turns my stomach."

A chuckle escaped his throat. "Such harsh words," he taunted, "Careful…your more like me then you realize. Both you and Zelena were born on the planet Vegeta. The both of you are space fighters…_Saiyan warriors!_ Just like me."

"Huh?"

"Allow me to introduce myself," he was enjoying the conversation now, "I'm Raditz, your big brother."

"What!?" The man clad in red was starring at him as though he had grown three tails.

The man now christened Raditz gestured to the young woman known as Zelena, "And that's Zelena, our dear cousin."

"Goku has a brother and a cousin!?" shouted Krillin. All he knew was that Goku had a grandfather. Everything else about him was a mystery.

Once the truth was out everything began to make sense. The reason why Raditz looked so familiar is because he was Goku's brother, thus it would only make sense that they would have a similar facial structure. But Zelena looked nothing like the duo, so her being a relative was quite a surprise as well. But cousins often bare very few similarities with each other so that was to be expected.

"Goku…" Bulma looked up at him in horror, "…he looks l-like you!"

"Why should I believe you!?" Goku spat, disbelief obvious in his expression, his words, and his voice.

The bald human male agreed with him, "Yeah! I can see how _she _would be a relative of yours, but how is Goku related to you? He's lived on Earth his entire life!"

"Its very simple," he chuckled, "We sent him here. Kakarrott was given orders to purge this world of its current inhabitants. A mission which he has failed miserably. As for Zelena, well, I'm not sure _why _she's even on Earth. She was supposed to be on the planet Namek, but for some reason she came here."

"But why would you guys send either of us to another planet?" asked the supposed younger brother of Raditz.

He launched into his explanation immediately, "You see, we Saiyans are sort of like planet brokers. We scour space for planets that will fetch a high price on the galactic market. Once we find them, we purge the planet of all life and prepare them for sale. It's a very profitable business and we take great pride at being efficient in our work. For example, if we find a planet with strong inhabitants, we send a team of our adult fighters to destroy them. But for planets filled with weaklings like Earth one of our babies sufficient enough."

"If what you're saying is true," Krillin clenched his fists, "Then you Saiyans are nothing but an abomination! Your no better then space pirates!"

Bulma embraced young Gohan who seemed to be transfixed by the man. His tail swished up and down. Zelena merely growled at him, showing that she was displeased. "How could you send little babies off into space all by themselves?"

"Trust me! They're more then capable of looking after themselves," Raditz said as though it were common sense, "Well…most of them…" he turned his attention back to his younger sibling, "Kakarrott you're a disgrace! You could've whipped out every last human on this planet with the help of the full moon! And you," he looked at the female, "I can't believe that your too stupid figure out how to control your ship. I thought your mother was a genius for God's sake! Obviously the apple fell _very _far from the tree…"

"What, was I supposed to blow the moon up?"

His comment seemed to rip at Raditz's nerves, "You dumbass! You know as well as I do that it's the key to unlocking your true potential! I'm sure at least once in your meaningless life you've looked at the full moon!"

"What are you talking about?"

Raditz scanned his younger brother thoroughly. A gasp escaped him as he realized that something was missing. "What happened to your tail Kakarrott!?"

"My tail?" Goku glanced at his rear-end and then turned towards his brother, "What about it?"

"Answer me dammit!" He was done with their little chat and was ready to pummel his younger sibling into the next galaxy.

"It was removed permanently a long time ago."

His body trembled with contained rage, "Do you realize what you've done!? Your true power is gone now! Without your tail you can't transform during the full moon. Now I can see how you can live in harmony with all of these weaklings! Your no better then the rest of them! The only real Saiyan among you is Zelena and she's an idiot."

"Shut up! Zelena is not an idiot! She just doesn't know how to talk yet. And besides, she just got to Earth this morning so she hasn't been here the whole time," this caught Raditz's attention, "But it's her home now just like it is mine. And these are our friends so leave us alone! And you sure don't act like any brother I'd wanna have."

He gestured to himself, "My name is Goku and I live here. Now leave us alone!"

"Yeah, just go!" Bulma continued hug Gohan as she retaliated against Raditz.

Roshi stepped up to the plate as well, "Even if you are relatives, that doesn't mean Goku and Zelena has to destroy peaceful planets like you do 'ya freak!"

"Right, Goku's already saved this planet once," Krillin added, "So go away!"

Not a single word had an effect on him. Raditz chuckled lightly and slowly passed Krillin. He eyed the small wooden house with a wide grin on his face. "So baby brother and my favorite little cousin wants to be left alone? Well too bad. I can't let that happen."

"At this point the two of you-especially Zelena-are far too valuable to lose. You see, twenty-three years ago, our planet was destroyed by a humungous comet. The Saiyan race was destroyed—leaving only you, me, Zelena, and two more Saiyans. Zelena being the last female of our race, so she truly is a rarity," Raditz sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, "Pity she had to be a relative of mine."

"Like you, the rest of us had been sent off to perform a few hostile takeovers," he spoke as though it were a casual conversation, "But then we found another world we would like to conquer…the same world Zelena failed to takeover. I don't know how she ended up on Earth or where she has been the past twenty-three years, but either she doesn't like me so she refuses to speak or she has been far away from civilization for quite some time."

He cleared his throat and continued on, "This planet will rack in a high price. But the job requires a little more manpower. We feared that we would have to pass it up until I remember you Kakarrott. We assumed Zelena was dead seeing as this planet exceeded our expectations and proved too strong for one of our infants to handle," he shrugged, "Surprise, surprise."

"Neither of you have developed as I might have hoped but either way we should manage nicely."

He approached his younger brother and leaned towards him, entering his personal bubble. Goku skipped away, looking a little uncomfortable with the close proximity. "Well now…what do you think? Are you excited? You should be. I've come to take you back and it seems I'll be carrying more luggage then I had hoped for."

Gohan and Bulma trembled with fear. "I've heard enough!" A wide smile flashed across Raditz's face, as though the prospect of Goku being infuriated excited him. "I'd die before I'd join a gang of pirates like you!"

"Interesting," the older of the brothers leaned over the younger one's shoulder. His eyes locked onto Gohan. Zelena stepped in front of him, a low feral growl escaping her throat, "I've been meaning to ask you Kakarrott…you couldn't help but notice that your son has a tail."

"Leave him alone!"

"_I'll _decide that!"

He crossed his arms, "If you won't join us then I suppose I'll just have to settle for Zelena and the boy instead."

"What!?" Bulma grabbed Gohan's tail and hid it from view.

"No way!" Goku moved to a fighting stance.

Raditz extended one hand to the man who inherited his parent's blood, "I see the fire in your eyes brother. You should come with us. It's in your blood you love to fight," he began walking towards the group, "Now."

"I'm right here with you Goku." Krillin whispered.

"Just stay close to Gohan."

A low fierce growl sounded behind them as Zelena bared her teeth angrily.

Moving faster then light itself, Raditz lunged at Goku and kneed him in the gut. He sent the man soaring into the air. He landed in the sand, causing a storm of small pebbles to flare around him. Goku clutched his stomach and cried out in pain.

"Daddy!" Gohan broke free from the woman's grasp and ran to his fallen parent. Zelena caught the message and took off after the little boy.

Raditz intercepted them without a moment's hesitation. He punched Zelena so hard in the stomach that she coughed up both blood and saliva. Her body went limp as she fell unconscious; he caught her with one arm and then scooped the frightened lad up with the other.

"HEY!" Gohan wiggled in a desperate attempt for freedom, but to no avail.

"Like I said: I'm taking the only real Saiyans among you. If you ever want to see your son alive again I suggest you do exactly as I say. I'll give you one day to think about my little offer. But let's be realistic Kakarrott, I'm not giving you much of a choice. So, when you decide to join us-and you will-I want you to kill one hundred of these pathetic Earthlings. Just stack them here on the beach when your done. I'll be back tomorrow for a headcount," the only humans on the island looked as though they were about to be sick.

"I do hope you'll come through for me. After all he's my nephew…it would be a shame if something were to happen to him." He chuckled as the boy pled for his father to save him.

"Do you understand your mission?"

Goku nodded his head while cradling his wounded gut.

"Good…because if you fail then I will ensure that your son's life will meet a very unpleasant end…it would be a shame to waste the last female of our race so I'll merely torture Zelena if you don't cooperate."

Roshi stepped up to the playing field, "Goku isn't capable of killing anyone!"

"Shut it old man," Raditz barked, "Kakarrott is a Saiyan warrior. I'm sure that you'll be very surprised as to what he's capable of doing…but it doesn't make a difference either way, seeing as every living thing on this planet is going to die. After we've finished our current job, I've decided the Earth will be our next target."

"You what!?"

"Even without Kakarrott, four Saiyans should be more then enough for the job. We could take over this pathetic little planet in our sleep. So you see brother, if you cooperate or not the end result will still be the same."

Goku grabbed his brother's ankle, cringing in pain, "Please…let them go…leave them out of this!"

"I'm sorry brother, but I need a little incentive to get you to work. Plus this is Zelena's business too so there is no way for her to weasel her way out of this," he threw his head back and laughed, "You look so pathetic right now! Please brother, show some pride." He kicked him in the face at the end of his sentence.

"You have until tomorrow. Try to enjoy it." His kneecaps bent and then he lunged upwards. The small group watched in amazement as the man took off into the sky with both Gohan and Zelena in his arms…

**And the end of this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank-you for reviewing. Yes, I know that Raditz originally said that Planet Vegeta was destroyed three years prior to DBZ. But I'm going by the **_**Father of Goku**_** storyline, so that would mean it was destroyed twenty-three years prior to the series instead of three. So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 5: Loss**

"_A poet, before anything else, is _

_A person who is passionately in love with words_."

-W.H. Auden

The small band watched with horror as Raditz made off with both Gohan and Zelena.

Goku, whose body was still throbbing with pain after the simple attack performed by his older brother, shakily rose to his feet. "Gohan!" he choked out, "Gohan!"

The young father dropped to his knees in the water; he was still clutching his throbbing stomach. It felt as though Raditz had impaled him with a sword rather then kneed him in the gut. Out of fury, Goku threw his head back and released a cry. His fists slammed against the moist sand hidden by the salty blue water.

"Goku!"

The trio joined their friend in the water. Bulma began stroking his back in a motherly way. Krillin was patting Goku on the shoulder when Roshi spoke. "I'm sorry…but there was nothing we could do Goku."

There was a short pause before Goku looked towards the sky, "Nimbus!" Without a moment's hesitation the yellow cloud skidded to a stop beside him. Goku tried to stand, but his body was seized with pain.

"Don't go Goku, you'll be killed!" the teal-haired woman gripped his shoulders and forced him to stay still. He dropped to his knees again, groaning from the pain.

Krillin grabbed at the front of his shirt and began shaking him, "Do you really think you can beat him the way you are now?"

"B-but…I've got to try!" the raven-haired man whimpered. He was defiant; it was impossible to deter Goku from what he desired.

Roshi decided to take control of his pupil before he tried to run away again, "We need to use our heads first," he reasoned, "He's stronger then you Goku. We'll have to outsmart him somehow."

"Come on; let's get him on the porch." Bulma and Krillin both grabbed his arms and began dragging him towards the white wooden porch. Carefully, they supported him as he lowered himself onto the stairs.

He leaned forward, his strong arms resting on his legs, "I hope Gohan and Zelena are alright…" his voice was barely above a whisper. It was hard for any of them to see him like this.

"They're fine. If he wanted to hurt either of them he would have done it by now." Bulma slid her hands into her pockets, a troubled expression twisting her features.

"The guys a beast and…he stunk." Krillin grumbled as he stretched his arms above his head.

The teal-haired woman nodded her head in agreement, "Yeah, I noticed that." She muttered in disgust.

"Me too." Roshi agreed.

They were tying to lighten the mood, but it did not seem to affect Goku. _There has to be some kind of weakness…hmm…he's my brother, so maybe he might have some of my weaknesses…uh…let's see… _He carefully reviewed his memories, searching for what could be considered a fatal soft spot. _Uh…maybe…I got it! _Images of his childhood came to mind.

"His tail!" This outburst caused Bulma, Krillin, and Roshi to return their attention to him.

"What's that Goku?"

"His tail! If we grab his tail, then he'll be vulnerable. Remember when someone grabbed my tail?" he flinched as he rose to his feet. His eyebrows were knitted together; the chocolate colored irises were glued to the flying nimbus, "It hurt so much I couldn't move."

That was a problem he no longer had to live with. But his brother was still haunted by that particular weakness considering he still had a tail. It would be the same for Gohan and Zelena. Roshi seemed to agree with the younger man, "Good thinking Goku."

"No way," his classmate thought otherwise, "he won't just let you waltz up and grab his tail. If it's that important, then he'll probably have it wrapped around his waist all the time."

Goku was not the brightest bulb on the tree, but even he was aware of the gaping hole that loomed in his plan. "I know…which is why I'll need some help." But nothing would stop him from trying.

"Uh…w-wait a minute!" Krillin was not as strong as Goku, and to be honest, he was quite scared of his friend's sibling. The thought of facing him in battle was not a pleasant one.

Their teacher agreed with his star pupil, though, "Don't worry! Krillin and I are ready. Right?" He shot the bald man a look.

"Uh…well…" Krillin nervously fiddled with his cuffs, "…since there's three of us, I guess it's possible…possible but…" his voice hit a high note, "…not likely."

Another thought struck the bald man. A relieved smile tore at his lips, "But if something happens to me, you guys can just wish me back with the dragon balls."

"Uh-huh," Bulma gave him a wide smile, "I'll go search for the dragon balls if anything happens to you."

"It's no use."

They looked at Goku, who seemed to be troubled, "You've already been brought back to life with the dragon balls once Krillin. So has Master Roshi. The dragon won't do it again," the reminder killed their fighting spirit immediately, "So if either of die again, this time it's for real."

"That's…a…bummer." His worst fear was to die a single man.

"Then I'll go alone."

Krillin jumped after hearing his friend, "But that's suicide! Do you think we'll just sit here while you leave and get killed!?" _But if I go with him, I'll get creamed so fast…eh… _

"How about we gather the dragon balls and wish for the dragon to get rid of him?" suggested Bulma.

The idea had merit. "Yeah!"

"But Krillin," but Roshi was forced to be the bearer of bad news, "We can't gather all those dragon balls in one day."

He sighed and shook his head in defeat, "Oh…that's right…" Even with the dragon radar, it would take some time to locate the other four.

"Then we should go an attack him head on!" His comrades shot him looks of surprise, "That's the one thing he'd never expect. It might give us an edge."

"But how will we find him?" The old man never failed to remind the younger beings of the loopholes in their plans.

"I don't know!" Goku was becoming frustrated with the whole affair. He wanted to rescue both his son and Zelena and be rid of his annoying brother quickly. But life was not as simple as that.

But then Bulma raised a new glimmer of hope, "Didn't Gohan have a dragon ball on his hat?" Her lips curled into a smile, "Then we'll use the dragon radar to find them!" She reached into her pocket and fished a small, round ivory device. The lined screen was a deep green. She pressed a button the object that resembled a stop watch. Several vibrant green dots began flashing on the screen. They vanished, leaving only one.

The group watched as that one dot flew across the screen with amazing speed. Within seconds it came to a stop. The map zoomed in on the spot, allowing them to view that particular area of the map in detail.

"It stopped!" Bulma sighed in relief, "At least they're not in outer space somewhere."

With renewed vigor, Goku began walking towards the flying nimbus. "I'm going after him. Ready guys?"

"We might get lucky and beat that idiot. I'm in!" Krillin sounded both nervous and excited at the same time.

Roshi nodded his head in agreement, "Whatever happens, you two should know that you're the best pupils I've ever had."

"You're wasting your time."

A familiar, gravely voice echoed from above. They all looked upwards. "PICCOLO!" The bald man shouted.

A familiar being dressed in dark purple and a long flowing white cloak was hovering near the roof of Kame House. His skin was still the same shade of dark green. His green and pink arms were crossed over his chest. A stern expression was planted firmly on his face.

"Oh great," the man clad in orange sighed. _Who's next? The Red Ribbon Army? _The thought of having to battle the army once again was not a pleasant one. "What else is going to do wrong today?"

Piccolo lowered himself to the beach; his cape billowed around his body as though it bore a life of its own. "I suppose you could make me angry." He suggested.

"What do you want?" Goku moved to protect his allies. Bulma slowly began crawling away; Piccolo did not leave one of the greatest of impressions on her the last time he decided to speak with his arch nemesis.

Roshi seemed to be annoyed with tall green man, "Get outta here! This is _my _island!" he shook his crooked wooden staff menacingly.

"I've been spying on your afternoon visitor and I followed him here."

Goku did not show a hint of fear as he spoke with his enemy, "Oh yeah? What do _you _know about him?"

"This: the only way you'll have a prayer against him is if I accompany you." He was blunt and straight to the point. Piccolo never wasted his time.

_Help me? But why would Piccolo want to do that? I thought he wanted to kill me. _That was the promise he had left Goku with. Five years ago, during the last Martial Arts Tournament that the red clad man participated in, he and Piccolo had one final battle. After being defeated by the older of the two males, Piccolo swore to be the one to end Goku's life. _Piccolo… _

The wind whistled around his body as Raditz flew across the ocean. With his right arm he carried the unconscious Zelena. In his left hand wiggled the terrified child known as Gohan. His long spiked darkened tresses danced around his body. The air was scorched with summer. Mere minutes passed as he returned to the vast wasteland where he had encountered that strange green man.

The resemblance was remarkable. Both Kakarrott and Zelena had inherited a majority of the most prominent parental figures in their lives.

Kakarrott resembled their late father to a tee. Even the style of his hair was an exact replica. But their personalities differed greatly. Their father had been a ruthless killer, prepared to take more then a hundred lives as long as he was paid well. Yet his younger brother refuses to even take one. _Pathetic. _

The only parent of Zelena's that was related to both Kakarrott and Raditz was an enigma, though. She was a talented fighter. And yet she chose to become one of Planet Vegeta's top scientists rather then earn a living through battle. _A coward. _Obviously, his cousin did not recognize him. Most would find it hard to believe that he could recognize his cousin after twenty-three years had passed. She was an infant when they last met, so most would not recognize her.

But he knew that it was Zelena. He knew that she was a Saiyan due to her tail. Her glacier blue irises were a trademark; they were a rarity amongst their race and a dead giveaway to her identity. And then there was her hairstyle. It matched her mother's precisely. The bangs fell over her right eye and it was the same length as well. Her facial structure matched her mother's as well. The pigment in Zelena's skin was the same too.

Saiyans often retain several traits from their parents, from their hairstyle to their facial structure.

What confounded him the most was her hair. Not that her eyes could be considered 'normal' in the eyes of a Saiyan, but her hair was just mind-boggling. A Saiyan's hair never changed from the day he or she was born; and yet, Zelena's hair had changed drastically. As an infant, she bore dark rose-red tresses that had been cut so that it barely touched her ears. But as an adult, her beautiful locks nearly touched her hips. Maybe she was simply a rare breed.

_Yes. That explains a lot. She's simply a rare breed of Saiyan. At least my family was given _something _special. And…that might be why…oh never mind. _

The unbearable heat of the desert diminished as trees slowly began to protrude from the ground. Vibrant green blades escaped the dirt and replaced the golden sand that whirled around as the wind began to pick up.

The man clad in black and gold watched as the forest vanished from beneath him and was replaced with a large city filled to the brim with tall buildings. Humans continued their daily activities, completely unaware of the horror that awaited them.

_Disgusting little vermin. _He thought as he increased the pace.

Overgrown cities melted into nonexistence, leaving only vast farmland and open fields.

Raditz dropped to the ground as he came upon the crater left by his arrival. Once his feet connected with the hard surface, he dropped the terrified boy and his cousin to the ground. Gohan leapt to his feet and scurried away, whimpering in terror.

Without worry of his escape, Raditz slid to the bottom of the crater, stopping directly beside the spherical spaceship.

The sun reflected from the cool metal surface. It was scorching hot hours before, but it cooled quickly enough. Dirt covered the once clean surface. The inside of the machine was cushioned. The pod was manipulated by an external remote rather then an internal control panel.

The raven haired man continued examining his ship to ensure that it would be prepared for flight. The technology used to craft this useful machine was top notch; however, it was not perfect. Everything had a flaw. Every now and then, the landing would overload the pause. The machine would either detonate or shutdown due to the pressure. He pulled the remote from the armor that protected his torso and pressed one of the many buttons controlling the ship's functions.

The door hissed as it slowly rose upwards. A click was heard as it locked, making it impossible for him to enter the ship. He pressed the same button. There was another hiss as the click resounded and the door slowly lowered.

_Seems to be in working order. _His legs carried him to the top of the crater. Raditz scanned the grassy field around him. The boy was nowhere to be seen.

_Where did he go? _Out of curiosity, he began searching for the incentive that would allow him to command his younger sibling.

The old human male that was kind enough to welcome the Saiyan to his planet with open arms was gone. His old blue truck remained in place. Blood darkened the blades of grass where he had been. The animals that once roamed the land had long since fled the farm. Their instincts told them to avoid this place at all costs.

Frightened whimpers alerted Raditz to the child's location.

He closed the distance between himself and the truck with a few long strides. Slowly, his hand extended towards the vehicle. With ease it impaled the hard metal and gripped a pipe connecting to the engine. As if it were a small object light in weight, Raditz hauled it into the air with one hand.

The truck groaned as it was forced to hover above the ground, something the machine was not meant to due.

Gohan had been hiding behind one of the wheels. He yelped as the truck was lifted away from him, revealing his whereabouts to his newly revealed uncle.

Trying to match his father, Gohan glared at his relative defiantly, "Y-you don't scare me!" he whimpered, "My Daddy can do the same thing!"

Testing him, Raditz manipulated the ki that inhabited his body. The energy churned around his palm before it became something tangible. Ivory light incinerated the machine, leaving nothing but aches.

The act frightened the small boy. His puffy eyes generated more tears and he threw his head back, crying out for his father.

Raditz rolled his eyes and glared at him. All of his crying was starting to give the older male a migraine. "Stop crying!" Gohan continued to bawl like a wounded animal. The raven haired man was beginning to lose his patience. "I said shut-up!" Still, the boy refused to cease his annoying wailing.

"I d-don't why your so mean to me!" the boy sobbed, "I di-idn't do anything to y-you!"

Deciding to take action, the boy's uncle grabbed the collar of his shirt and hoisted him into the air.

Gohan struggled to break free but he was far too weak to match Raditz.

"Stop your whining," the raven haired Saiyan ordered as he leapt into the crater, "Your one of the brave Saiyans too."

He tossed the sobbing child inside of the waiting pod and pulled the remote from his armor. He pressed the button and watched as the door slid shut, clicking to indicate that it was locked. The loud insistent cries ended immediately.

Relief flooded through the Saiyan male's mind, "You can come out when you quite crying." _Thank God that's over. _He climbed out of the crater and onto the field once more. Zelena was still lying on the ground; she had yet to regain consciousness.

His stomach felt as empty as empty as black hole. "Hmm…maybe I can round up something to eat." He muttered to himself. One often speaks to oneself when left alone long enough.

A beeping sound rang in his left ear, causing his eyes to focus on the dark green monocle. Amber characters flashed on the screen, characters that only a Saiyan well versed in that particular language could read.

"A high power level of seven-hundred and ten?" _But where is it…? _He clicked one of the buttons on the device. "What the…? How can it be within fifty meters of here?"

First he looked to Zelena. But the device ordered for him to continue further. He followed the arrows until he had fully turned towards the crater and was looking downward at his ship. The lines around the spaceship indicated the source of the readings.

"That's impossible!" A boy so young and with a complete lack in training could not possess such a high power level. "Damn faulty equipment…gave me a bit of a scare." He turned the device off, dismissing its claims as false. Turning away from the pod, he began walking away from the crater…

**Wow it is taking me forever to get through this. I'm trying to avoid rushing. Anyway, please review and I shall update soon…**


	7. Chapter 7

**And here is the next chapter. Thank-you for your wonderful reviews. Okay, its time for the first detailed fight in this entire fic (and it took one prologue and five chapters to reach it too). I hope you enjoy it (even though you've already seen before)…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 6: Loss**

"_In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe_

_And enough shadows to blind those who don't_."

-Blaise Pascal

Waiting for the day to pass by was going to be dull. That was the first thought that came Raditz's mind.

After taking care of the annoyance known as Gohan, he decided that he would try to scrounge up some food. It felt like months since he last ate. His stomach was not very pleased.

He began walking towards the forest. That would be the best place to check.

The raven haired male stopped as another beeping sound infiltrated his ears. His eyes slid to the left, allowing him to view the dark green monocle. Amber shapes and characters flashed on the small screen.

"Huh?" the shapes ceased. "A power level of four hundred?" He clicked a button on the ivory device, and slowly followed the arrows. He came to a stop when a small box appeared around his unconscious cousin.

Disappointment was evident on his features. "Such a weak power level." He turned the device off and continued onward.

Birds chirped as he made his way through the forest, eyes scanning his surroundings carefully. The Saiyan listened for the footsteps generated from whatever poor creature decided to cross his path. All he could hear were small bird; they barely count as a snack much less a meal. His travels brought him to a river. There, he took a quick drink and quenched the nagging thirst that seized shortly before he arrived on Earth.

Not far from the stream he encountered a tall tree bearing strange yellow food stripped with lavender.

He picked one of the objects from the limb and sampled it. The fruit on this planet was delicious. Satisfied with his choice, he continued to munch on the strange looking food. But fruit would not satisfy him for long. Meat was a delicacy in a Saiyan's diet; so he would be searching for some poor unsuspecting animal soon.

Footsteps and the rustle of nearby shrub. Raditz paused as he was about to bite into another piece of fruit. Turning his head, he found two brown wolf-like beings waiting for him. They were ready to pounce.

_Heh, stupid animals. _He looked away and continued dining on what he had managed to find. The man listened carefully as the wolves slowly crept towards him. _Just a little more. _A roar sounded as the one towards the right lunged at him. With ease, Raditz reached outward and manipulated the ki in his body rapidly. A blast shot from his open palm and engulfed the canine's head, blowing its cranium clear off of its shoulder. Blood began to pour from the corpse.

The second wolf was not discouraged despite the fall of its comrade. It was next to attack. Raditz made quick work of it by punching a hole through its heart and ribcage, killing it almost instantly.

"Dinner." He picked some extra pieces of fruit from the trees limbs and knelt beside the animal corpses.

Raditz began tearing into them and eating the meat, one piece at a time. At first he almost denied himself of the meat when he attempted to eat it raw. Not as fulfilling as the raw meat of other creatures from foreign planets but it would have to do. The fruit was a nice touch though.

He finished off the dead bodies of the wolves; he left the scraps for whatever predator passes by. Taking some extra pieces of fruit, he headed back to the crash site.

He paused as he left the safety of the woods. The crater still impaled the earth. Zelena had not moved an inch.

"Maybe she's weaker then I first thought." He never dreamed that members of his family would be such a disgrace. His father may have been a low-class Saiyan, but even he was better then this.

Raditz decided to check on his adorable little nephew. Maybe the boy decided to quiet down. If he did, then the uncle might be kind enough to let the child out of his pod. After all, he should get to know the lad. He might have to become his new guardian.

If that was going to be the case, then he would raise the boy as he should be. He would grow to become a true Saiyan, unlike his biological father.

As Raditz neared the crater, something gripped his ankle. He cocked his head so that he could see the source. It was Zelena. She was still lying face down in the grass; but now her fingers coiled around his boot covered ankle.

"Zelena?" She was asleep and it was a reaction to his presence or she was conscious. Either way, that woman was going to let go.

She released him. Without giving an answer, she rose to her feet. Her bangs fell over her eyes, making it difficult for the male to see them.

"So are you ready to cooperate my cousin?" Hope still lingered in his heart. Maybe he would not have to eliminate the remainder of his family; excluding his nephew from the equation, of course.

Still, he did not receive a reply. That was starting to annoy him. "Answer me!" He barked.

Suddenly her hand shot from her side and gripped his throat. Raditz dropped the fruit and raised his hands as though he were about to bring them down on her head. He stopped when another voice filled his ears.

"You're _really _starting to piss me off."

It was Zelena's voice. The sound reminded him of a soft melody that rock an army into a deep blissful slumber. But at the moment it was harsh and unforgiving.

A smirk crept onto his face, "So you could speak all along? So is this 'defending the Earth from harm' a façade?"

"No," her head turned slightly. Her eyebrows were knitted together. Anger raged deep within her beautiful yet cold glacier blue irises, "I could care less about this planet. But I do have a mission here and you're in my way. No get your sorry ass out of here or else!"

His cousin was full of surprises. "I can't let you destroy this planet. It has something-or someone-that I need." She continued.

"Well too bad," the older of the two Saiyans placed his hands together and brought them down on Zelena. "I can't do that!"

In the blink of an eye she was gone. Raditz gazed at the spot where she had been standing with awe. "W-where did she go?" he looked back and forth.

"Over here."

Turning around, he found Zelena standing a few feet away from him. His monocle beeped to life and began reading her power level.

One eyebrow shot up as the numbers rose. "Five-hundred…six-hundred…seven-hundred…" his other eyebrow joined its brother on his forehead, "…eight-hundred…nine-hundred…nine-hundred and thirty…one thousand?"

"Your power level…it increased so quickly!" Never had witnessed another's power level grow so rapidly.

She massaged her wrists and stretched her legs. "Yeah," she replied in a casual tone, "too bad I can't go higher. If I do…well, you'll be able to kick my ass."

"Huh?" That did not make any sense. If she went higher, then she would defeat him easily. How would powering up make her weaker? He shook his confusion off. _She's trying to mess with my mind. _"So like my dear brother you refuse my offer?"

Her palms planted themselves to her hips and she turned to fully face him, "Pretty much."

"A stupid decision, cousin."

"That's what they all say," she hooked one arm behind her back and extended the other. Her open palm faced the sky; the thumb bent so that it was pressed against her hand. The other fingers extended so that they were flat. "Don't hold back."

An excited smile spread across the male's face. With incredible speed, he lunged at the female Saiyan. Her tail fastened itself around her waist before she parried his fist with her open palm. Dropping low to the ground she brought her foot up; it collided with his jaw. Without hesitation Raditz's leg slid towards her lowered head. She bent backwards and avoided the collision. His foot made an abrupt stop and fell downwards. It collided with her stomach, causing her to cough specks of crimson colored blood.

Recovering from the drop kick was fast enough. Her torso flung upwards, causing her forehead to collide with his. Raditz stumbled backwards, feeling a little disoriented.

He overcame the dizzy feeling and delivered a powerful punch. Zelena avoided it by catching his fist and then aiming at his nose with her free hand. He cocked his head to the side and avoided her hand, and then treated her to a head butt to the forehead when she was close enough.

Zelena recoiled from the hit, falling backwards as she tried to recover her senses.

Her mind refocused, allowing her to catch herself. She brought one foot up and aimed it at his throat. Raditz caught her leg. Sighing in annoyance, she brought her other foot up. This time the tip of her toe connected with a very sensitive area on his body. Raditz released a high pitched scream and released her. He stumbled away from his female cousin, eyes beginning to tear up due to the searing pain.

"Wimp!"

She aimed her open palm at the disoriented man and rapidly manipulating the ki inside of her body. A small beam appeared and shot forward.

Raditz forced himself to recover and moved aside, flying behind his cousin. Now he was becoming angry with her.

"_**Double Sunday!**_" He began to charge his attack. Golden electricity formed in both of his palms. Before Zelena could put up a proper guard, two powerful beams of golden light engulfed her body. They sent her several yards away.

She hit the ground, smoke enshrouding her entire body. Her kimono was torn and covered in dirt. Pain bit at her flesh.

"Damn that hurt…" she muttered. Another beeping sound echoed from his dark green monocle. Raditz watched as the characters rapidly began to change shape. Rocks that were strewn about the ground slowly began to rise into the air.

His skin began to burn as she strengthened her ki.

"One-thousand and thirty…two-thousand…three-thousand…four…" his jaw fell as she slowly grew stronger then he was, "…What the Hell? Five-thousand!? That's impossible!" _How can she be stronger then me!? My power level is only one-thousand and fifteen…damn it! _

"Because I'm just _that _cool." She replied in a sarcastic tone.

He watched as her body slowly melted into it was translucent, like a ghost. Within seconds the image broke apart. It had been like she was never there to begin with.

He was never given enough time to track her. Zelena appeared behind him and delivered a powerful blow to his head. The attack sent him several yards away from where he had been standing. She sped off towards her male cousin and skidded to a stop. Bringing her leg up, she kicked him high into the air. Pressure built in her thighs, lower legs and feet as she propelled her body into the air. Using the ki in her body, she fought the 'law' known as gravity and appeared beside the disoriented man. Her foot hovered above his stomach and then dropped. The force of the kick was strong enough to send him spiraling back to the ground.

Raditz hit the ground, creating a small crater with his landing. Zelena allowed herself to join him on the earth. She stood a few feet away, eyes narrowed as she waited for him to rise.

Spitting blood, Raditz groaned as he rolled onto his hands and knees.

He glared at the woman fiercely. Zelena extended her open palm, a cold expression on her features.

"Such a pity," she began to charge a ki beam, "that the first person I am forced to kill in my entire life will be my first born cousin."

Just as she was about to release the ki beam, she stopped. A look of both shock and anger twisted at her facial structure. Trembling, she clutched her forehead with her free hand. Her eyes narrowed into slits.

"N-no…" she choked, looking as though she were about to break down into tears, "…not now! Please let me finish this!" the beam vanished as both of her arms began to cradle her body, "Ah dammit all!"

Raditz watched as her body convulsed violently. Seconds passed as she finally stood still, arms hanging limply at her sides. Her knees gave out and she fell forward, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

He was shocked to say the least. For some unexplained reason, his cousin passed out just as she was about to finish him. Lady luck must have been smiling down on him.

Raditz rose to his feet, grinning at the fallen woman triumphantly.

He clicked a button on the ivory device attached to his left ear. The characters changed rapidly before choosing a certain set of numbers. "Back to four hundred, huh?" He jumped slightly as the numbers began to change. "Seven hundred and ten?" he followed the arrows until he came to the crater.

"Heh…this thing is still going haywire…but then again…" It was possible that her power level had not reached five-thousand. But then would he explain such an increase in strength. _Maybe I was just being paranoid. _He grew irritated as the monocle lost control again. This time it ordered him to look at the sky. "A power level of six hundred and fifty?"

He shook his head, "No…there are two…one is three-hundred and twenty and the other is three-hundred and thirty," his eyebrows narrowed dangerously, "Kakarrott has a power level of three-hundred and thirty. But why would he come here? He's well aware that he can't beat me. And he doesn't even know where I am." He turned the monocle off.

Raditz moved passed his fallen cousin and scooped the fruit from the ground. _I'll deal with her later. I should take it easy for now. _

The Saiyan was about to find a place to rest, but the insistent beeping created by the device on his head said otherwise.

"What?" he turned towards the sky. There he could see two human forms heading straight for him. They were his brother and the green man.

"Kakarrott _is_ here!" he exclaimed. He snapped his head in the direction of the spaceship. _But if my scouter is correct, then that boy…no, this can't be right! It's impossible for a child that small to have a power level of seven-hundred and ten. And then what about Zelena…her power level… _His stomach twisted with anxiety.

He did not have enough time to contemplate as to whether his scouter was functioning properly. The strange yellow cloud Goku was perched on soared over his head. His younger brother did a back flip off of the cloud and landed directly in front of the crater. The strange green man joined his side.

"Well, well, well look who's decided to drop in," the walls around his emotions rebuilt themselves. He was not about to show weakness in front of his pathetic excuse of a sibling. "Its little brother. Oh and he's brought the green man, too."

"I was wondering who that second insignificant blimp on my scouter might be," the man was no better then his sibling when taking his low power level into consideration, "I must confess that I didn't expect it to be you. What a pleasant surprise." Sarcasm dripped from his lips as he continued.

"I have to hand it to you brother, I didn't think I'd see you until tomorrow," he began toying with the fruit, "You're a little more foolish then I thought."

The other male Saiyan narrowed his eyes, "We'll see about that."

He was not intimidated by him in the least, "So what brings you here, Kakarrott? Do tell," there was a short pause, "Have you already eliminated one-hundred earthlings?"

"I'm here for Zelena and my son!" Goku announced, "Where are they?"

He sighed and shook his head in disappointment, "I was afraid you would say that…Zelena should not be too hard to find. As for your son…well, I don't feel like announcing that information." He gestured behind his shoulder.

Both Piccolo and Goku followed his thumb. There they found the unconscious woman lying on the ground.

"She's still asleep?" the green man asked in disbelief, "Pathetic."

It was difficult to admit the truth, but he was no liar. "Actually, she did wake up a few minutes ago. Notice anything different about me?"

The two males looked at their opponent more closely. Now that he caught their attention, they realized that he did look a little beaten up. Blood leaked from his lips and dirt covered his body. There was a nasty bruise on his forehead.

Goku's heart skipped a beat, "You didn't…!" he found it impossible to voice.

"No, I didn't," he glanced at the fallen woman, "she attacked me like a wild dog and I defended myself. And just as she was about to finish me she passed out as though she were in pain and started talking to herself. Her power level is very high…she could kill the both of you in a heartbeat."

A look crossed Piccolo's stern features.

Goku relaxed visibly upon hearing his answer, "Good. Then I'll be taking them both home."

"Your starting to test my patience Kakarrott," the older of the two siblings groaned, "I've been more then generous with you so far. Now for the last time, I strongly recommend that you join us."

"I don't care what you strongly recommend!" the younger of the male Saiyans spat, "I just want Zelena and my son, alright?"

His reply was low and even, "You should listen to your big brother."

"As far as I'm concerned, I don't have a brother!"

That struck a cord. The elder of the siblings dug his nails into the poor fruit, a forced smirk spreading across his lips. "Alright then," he was hoping that it would not come to this, "You can have it your way Kakarrot. I didn't come here to kill you, but it seems that you have left me no choice."

He toyed with the pear-like object for a moment, "Its too bad _little brother._ I do believe that you would have found the life of a Saiyan most invigorating." He took a bite from the pear.

"Alright," Piccolo tore his ivory cloak from his shoulders and tossed it aside, "I've heard enough." It landed with a heavy thud, earning a surprised look from Goku. Cloaks were usually light and weightless, but the green man carried a cloak that must have been filled with something heavy. The fact that the indentions left by the shoulders remained proved it. His purple and white turban so joined it.

Tearing his attention from his older brother, Goku commented on the sight, "I didn't know you trained with weighted clothes, too."

"What? Thought you were the only one?" A sickening crunch sounded as he stretched and popped his neck. "Much better."

Deciding to join him, Goku removed the orange over shirt. He then peeled the dark blue weighted undershirt off and tossed it aside. After slipping the top half of his Gi back on, he sat down and began pulling his boots off. "There's thirty pounds…then here's fifty, and another fifty…" he returned to a standing position and slipped the two bands from his wrists, "…and two little fivers," he massaged the flesh on his wrists, "That outta do it Piccolo. Think of anything else?"

"Do I look like your tailor?" the green man grunted back to his temporary comrade.

A chuckle escaped his throat as Raditz tossed the pear aside. His arms crossed over his chest, an arrogant smirk spreading across his face, "Do you two really think that's going to make a difference? Idiots! Who do you think I am? A few weights aren't going to affect the outcome of this fight! I'm still _ten times _stronger then you two."

"I don't know," Piccolo glanced at the fallen Saiyan, "She didn't have too much trouble kicking the shit out of you."

The man's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. He whipped the blood from his lips absentmindedly.

The Saiyan of the duo decided to put up a brave front, "Strength isn't the only thing that matters. Especially when you can outsmart your opponent."

"Neither one of you have a clue do you?" Being challenged by such weaklings would almost be considered an insult to a proud Saiyan such as Raditz. "You know what? I've decided that I don't want you to join us anymore. Nor should I allow Zelena to live. Fools like the two of you will only slow us down," his calm front dropped as his face slowly contorted with rage, "You're a disgrace to all Saiyans! PREPARE TO DIE!!!"

That was their only warning. Goku and Piccolo readied themselves as Raditz vanished from sight. The wind rushed between them. Raditz came to a stop directly behind them and turned with his arms outstretched. Still having not noticed him, the men turned their head just in time for the Saiyan's elbows to connect.

The two recoiled as they leapt away from the powerful man, landing on either side of him several feet away.

Defeating Raditz was not going to be a simple task…

**End of this chapter. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	8. Chapter 8

**Holy crap six reviews!!! Thank-you for reviewing so fast. Please tell me if my writing starts getting lazy; I'll definitely put a lot of detail. As for what happened to Zelena in the last chapter…well, you'll find out later. So without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 7: Finished **

"_When I stand before God at the end of my life_,

_I would hope that I not have a single _

_Bit of talent left, and could say_,

"_I used everything you gave me_"."

-Erma Bombeck

Goku massaged the back of his head. It throbbed with pain. His brother was standing only a few feet away from them, a cocky grin plastered on his face.

_He's way too fast! _Defeating Raditz would be even more of a challenge then overcoming the might of the late King Piccolo. Goku brought his fists up, prepared for anything his brother might throw at him. Piccolo moved into his own battle stance, a look of pure shock contorting his features.

"Well," Raditz's arms remained outstretched as he looked from his younger brother to the green man, "I'll give you this: you know how to take a punch," excitement flared in his deep chocolate brown irises, "Good! That will only make this all the more interesting. Let's find out much pain the two of you can withstand!"

_I need to grab his tail. It's the only chance we have. _"What's wrong? You look so pensive Kakarrott," mocking his younger brother was proving to be quite enjoyable, "Still trying to outsmart me?" he looked to the green man and lowered his arms. "Well, think about this while you're at it. The situation is beyond hopeless," his shoulders trembled as he chuckled, "If you think I'm strong now then wait until I catch my stride. I'm just getting warmed up."

Silence fell over the trio.

Goku had never faced an enemy so strong. Grabbing his tail was their only hope for victory. Or maybe if Zelena woke up, then they would stand a better chance. But that did not seem very likely. Lady Luck had a habit of frowning on him.

He jumped a little when his brother's voice rang across the gap that separated them. "I'll tell you what," this caught the young Saiyan's interest, "Seeing as how your power levels are more or less equal, how about we turn this into a little game?" Neither Goku nor Piccolo enjoyed the sound of that. "We'll call, 'which one of you can last against me the longest'. I cause each of you fools pain and you writhe around in agony. The loser is the first to be for mercy."

"That's it," sweat dropped from Piccolo's brow. He was losing his patience, "I don't care how strong he is. I'm not going to stand here and listen to this! Death sounds more appealing."

This seemed to amuse the raven-haired porcupine, "Don't worry green man! We'll get to that in due time."

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Goku was as confident in his abilities as ever, despite the odds, "We haven't lost yet."

Raditz placed his hands on his hips, "Trust me Kakarrott, I know an easy win when I see one."

"Come on Goku, help me shut this guy up," Piccolo moved to stand by his temporary ally, "We'll finish him at the same time."

But the man clad in red was not as eager to finish the battle, "Not until he tells us what he's done with Gohan," he looked toward the elder of the two Saiyans, "Where's my son?"

"Hm? Oh right, your kid. Don't get too cocky; you just might not be able to save him."

Goku was beginning to lose his patience for once in his life, "This is the last time I'm going to ask you! Where. Is. My. Son!?"

"Spare me the fatherly dramatics," Raditz waved his fingers as if to dismiss his brother's fury, "You can have a last look at him if you want. He's locked inside my space pod behind you."

"So _that's_ what you call this thing?"

The voice was female. Raditz immediately jerked around. His jaw fell as he realized that Zelena was not longer behind him. The Saiyan looked to the crater left by his ship. Goku and Piccolo were starring at it as well.

The man clad in orange-red did not waste time as he made his way to the deep hole.

Standing beside the round silver pod was the young female Saiyan. She was starring at the spaceship as though it were some rare species of insect. She scratched her head and then turned to look up at Goku. The latter was starring at her, wide-eyed.

A friendly smile spread across her face, "I've been starring at it for past four minutes. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was."

"You can talk?" Goku blinked, starring with surprise.

She crossed her arms, "Of course I can. Am I not supposed to?"

He was relieved to have another ally. _Maybe she can help us fight him. _"How's Gohan?"

"Gohan?" One of her eyebrows scaled her tanned forehead and she cocked her head to the side like a confused puppy, "What's a Gohan?"

His jaw fell as he listened to her. _Huh? But I told her… _"My son. Don't you remember?"

There was a short pause. Then she replied, "Nope. What's a son?"

"Do you remember who _I_ am?"

She shook her head, "I've never seen you before."

Everything. The poor woman had forgotten everything that she learned during her time on Earth. It was not a lot, but it was enough. In her eyes, Goku was a stranger. He was even more surprised to hear that she did not know what the term 'son' meant.

Deciding to return to the subject at hand, he dismissed this new tidbit of information, "Okay, do you see a kid inside of the pod?"

She glanced inside. The neglected child from before was standing near the window. Tears streaked his pale cheeks. "If that thing in there is a 'kid' then yes. And its eyes are leaking."

"Leaking?" He decided that it was best not to ask. "Good. That's Gohan. Hey, can you come up here for a minute? We need your help."

The young woman did not hesitate. She quickly began to scale the rocky walls of the crater. Half of a minute passed as she finally made it to the grassy surface.

Zelena whipped her torn kimono off and turned to face Goku, "What do you need?"

"I need you to help us in our fight against him." He gestured to Raditz, who was waiting for them patiently.

She looked from Goku to his brother then back to him again, "I will when you tell me what 'fight' means."

"Uh…I…" He was shocked. Zelena knew how to speak now; but she did not have a clue what half of vocabulary even meant. "…on second thought, can you look after Gohan?"

One of her eyebrows arched, "Sure." She lowered herself to the ground and crossed her legs, casually scanning her surroundings.

"Thanks," Goku lowered his gaze to his son, who was still locked inside of the pod, "I'll be down there to help you a few minutes Gohan! Hold on!"

Raditz threw his head back, releasing an annoying laugh, "You'll be down alright! But you won't be helping anybody. You should say your goodbyes now because you won't have a chance later."

"I'm not going to lose!" The Saiyan made his way to the battlefield, a determined expression in his chocolate colored irises.

Silence devoured the field once again. The cool air caressed their sweat covered skin. Birds chirped in the forestry around them. The golden sun was pounding down on their backs, causing them to condensate like an ice cold glass of water.

After taking a moment to prepare themselves mentally, both Goku and Piccolo charged forward. They threw one punch each; Raditz dodged the blows, a small smirk on his face. A flurry of punches soon followed. He parried each blow as if they were in slow motion. The duo increased their pace, causing Raditz to slide out of their grasp. He leapt into the air to avoid a kick from Piccolo. Goku appeared beside him, ready to ram his fist into his brother's throat. Raditz skipped away from him and landed a few meters apart.

Lunging forward, they each prepared their own attack. Raditz fell forward just as they were about to land a hit on him, bringing his legs up as he did so.

His feet hit their mark, sending both Goku and Piccolo flying.

Goku and his green ally recovered. They ricocheted off of the ground and charged at Raditz once more. Without changing his position, the powerful Saiyan ascended into the sky, causing the younger males to collide with one another instead.

The two took a moment to recover their senses before they joined him the air. Raditz rolled his eyes and moved so that he appeared to be standing. Holding his palms out to them, he began to churn the ki within his body. Ivory beams tinted a hot pink formed in his hands. He gave them permission to descend upon the oncoming warriors.

Goku narrowly avoided the left beam, which was aimed at him. He glanced at Piccolo; the green man seemed to be fairing well. _Good. He didn't get hit. He does look really surprised though. _

Each beam made a curve and headed towards the mountains in the distance. There was a pause before a blindingly bright explosion went off in both directions.

Goku fell to the ground. He looked upwards, eyes frantically scanning the sky. Raditz was nowhere to be found. "Where did he go?"

"Right here."

Pain filled Goku's body as his elder brother rammed his knee into his spine, sending him soaring towards a small pile of stone and weeds. Debris filled the air as Goku hit the ground, moaning in pain. Piccolo was kneeling on the ground a few feet away, cradling his upper arm.

"That's the matter with you two? Surely you can do better then _this._"

Goku stroked his cheek and then looked to his partner, "Piccolo are you al-what the, are you alright!?"

It was at that moment Goku realized that his brother's attack did not miss his ally. Piccolo's left arm was cut clean off. Purple blood dripped from the stub that had been left behind, which was being cradled by the man's other hand.

Piccolo rose to his feet, "Its not as bad as it looks."

An annoyingly loud cackle echoed across the field. Raditz found the green man's loss to be rather hilarious. "Excuse me, has anyone seen my arm?" he took a moment to bellow, "You can't miss it its green!"

"Ouch…" Zelena crossed her arms over her chest. "…that looks like it hurts." _What is that annoying sound he's making? _

After taking a moment to regain his composure, Raditz continued, "Come on, don't tell me that pathetic excuse of an attack was the best you could do."

He was right. The tactic they had been relying on was not working. "Okay Goku," the younger male growled, "If you have any new techniques you've been waiting to use then now is a good time to use them."

"Sorry but I don't have anything."

That was disappointing yet reassuring. Now Piccolo was positive that he would be able to kill Goku when the time came, "Slacker. While you've been busy relaxing, I've been developing a new attack."

"Fools…are you really too stupid to figure out that your plans are futile? No matter what the two of are going to die."

Ignoring the Saiyan, the pair continued to plot their next move. "Can you do this attack with only one arm?"

"Yes. But it takes me a little while to gather the energy for it," His heart quickened as Raditz prepared to lunge ay them, "So you'll have to distract him for five minutes. Its your decision."

_Hmmm…this might be our only chance. _"If your sure it'll work I'll hold him off."

"The truth is its untested against an opponent," disclosing important information came before action, "I was hoping to save it for a special occasion. I wanted to use to it defeat you."

"So instead your going to use it to help me? That must be a disappointment."

"No. This is a good test. If it works I'll be using it on you next."

Goku chuckled, "Figures."

"That wasn't intended to be funny." He was annoyed by how lighthearted the other man could be.

"Guess I'll have to be careful the next time we meet, huh?" After speaking for one last time, Goku charged at his brother.

He knew that he could ask Zelena for help; but he was reluctant to place her in any kind of danger. Goku was not sure of what happened to her. Somehow, she managed to fight off Raditz. But now she had not a clue of what the word 'fight' even meant, nor could she remember who Goku was.

_So I'm on my own until Piccolo uses his new attack. _Besides, someone needed to keep a close eye on Gohan. Obviously Zelena was more preoccupied with watching their match.

Goku pulled his arm back and thrust it forward. Raditz ducked and brought his knee up. Goku slid to the side, narrowly avoiding it this time. The two began exchanging blows faster then the untrained eye could keep up. Raditz dodged punch after punch, kick after kick. He leapt to the side as Goku attempted a drop kick; then he blocked an unexpected upper cut. He deiced that it was time to reduce the weaker Saiyan to a smoldering pile of ashes. Raditz delivered a powerful blow to Goku's shoulder; he recovered as if it were nothing and continued his onslaught. He aimed one foot at his brother's stomach; the older dodged and landed a blow to the younger's back. The younger raven haired Saiyan jerked around and firmly planted his fist into Raditz's cheek. The latter did the same, causing Goku to spiral backwards.

_So that's what Goku calls fighting. Looks tough. _Worry began to settle in the young woman's heart.

The man clad in red leapt from the ground and placed his hands together. He pulled his open palms backwards, and aimed them towards his sibling.

"_**Kamehameha!**_" The ki inside of his body began to twist and churn rapidly. Ivory light tinted a vibrant azure blow formed in his open palms. Using all of his strength, he propelled the attack forward.

Raditz looked from Goku to his comrade then back to his brother again.

Just in time. He managed to dodge the beam as it descended upon him. Gripping the ivory ball, Goku commanded it to follow him. It was like watching a game of tag for Zelena. The beam was 'it' and Raditz was the prey.

After running in circles for a moment, he skidded to a stop, "Enough of this!"

Using one hand, he used little ki to help ward the azure light off. Smoke devoured his body.

Goku hovered in midair, waiting to see if his attack had landed properly.

His hopes died as soon as the darkened mist cleared away. Raditz was unharmed, other then the fact that his palm was burned. "He canceled it out!" _Piccolo better hurry. _

Stretching his hand, Raditz smirked up at his younger sibling, "Brother! I'll show you how its done!" Charging a decent amount of ki, he tossed the same pink and white beam of light back to his brother.

Goku was not given enough time to dodge. He struck down within seconds, tearing and burning his clothes quite a bit. The wind whistled around his body as he fell to the unforgiving ground below. During the fall, Raditz sprinted towards the spot where his younger sibling would land. As soon as he was down, the older male gripped the front of his Gi and brought his fist back.

He stopped as the power level on his scouter increased. Turning around, he saw that two of the green man's fingers had been encased in a small ball of yellow and blue electricity.

"Let's see you stop this one."

Raditz had finally lost his patience. "ALL RIGHT GREEN MAN! LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'VE GOT!!!"

"Here it comes!" pulling his only arm back, Piccolo called out the name of his attack, "_**Special Beam Cannon!**_"

A deep gold blast enshrouded in dark purple shot forward. A second blast soon followed; it twisted around the first like a hungry viper. The two of them combined into a flurry of ivory, gold, and azure colored lightning. Everyone in the immediate area was blinded as the attack went straight through the target, hitting the mountains several miles behind him.

Zelena covered her eyes in a desperate attempt to protect her sight. She turned towards the crater behind her as a high pitched scream sounded behind her. It was the child known as Gohan.

Deciding to check on him, the dark haired woman leapt to the bottom of the crater just before grey smoke could engulf her body.

She poked at the pink window. The boy pounded on the window, his tear streaked face twisted with terror and anxiety. Her lips curled into a soft smile, "Don't worry, that guy will be just fine." _Or at least I hope he will. But maybe I can find way y to get him out of this pod thing. _

Zelena carefully examined the round pod. There did not appear to be an opening.

She scratched her head in thought, "Well how do I get this thing open?"

"_**KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BIRDIE!!!**_**" **

That was Raditz's voice. Her ebony tail swished back and forth as she excused herself and began climbing up the side of the crater. She glanced over the edge and then pulled herself up.

Raditz was on his hands and knees. His body was trembling with pain. Goku stood over him, his hands clasped around the dark brown tail that protruded from his body.

"What happened?" Without a second thought she approached the duo.

"Stay back!" Goku ordered, his eyes narrowed in anger. She stopped immediately.

Raditz cocked his head so that he could see his brother, "Kakarrott, please tell me you won't go through with this," he sounded as though he were in pain, "I am your brother!"

"Brother? Yeah right! You kidnapped my son and my new friend, and then you tried to kill me. And, if I remember right, you threatened to kill everyone on Earth."

He was not about to give up. "I was bluffing!" His claims were false. But neither Zelena nor Goku could tell for sure. Piccolo knew what he was trying to do, though. "I would have done or said _anything _to get you to join us, I swear it!"

"Don't listen to him Goku!" the green male warned from several meters away.

Raditz continued, "I was never going to kill you or Zelena or the boy. Once I was sure that I couldn't persuade you to join us, I was going to leave this planet for good. And that's the truth. I could never harm my own flesh and blood I swear! I swear it on my life Kakarrott…"

"Do you promise to leave?"

He nodded his head, "Yes of course! Its over! I'll tell the others that you won't join!"

"Don't listen Goku! He's trying to trick you!" Piccolo warned.

Closing his eyes and raising his voice, Raditz continued to try to persuade him to let him go, "I'LL NEVER COME BACK TO THIS PLANET AGAIN I PROMISE!!!!"

"NO GOKU!!!" Piccolo yelled.

But he was too later. As if in slow motion, Goku allowed his brother's tail to slip from his hands. Raditz immediately rose to his feet, bent one arm, and thrust it straight into his brother's face. The attack sent Goku flying. He hit the ground hard. Now that he was disoriented, Raditz quickly flew towards him. He stomped on Goku's chest, earning a sickening snap. Zelena's released a small gasp. She was surprised that Raditz had gone back on his word. _But he promised! _

"Fool! You're a rare breed indeed my brother," Raditz cackled, "A sentimental dope! Your way too soft to be a Saiyan warrior!"

A pained expression lingered on Goku's face and he looked his brother in the eye, "No…f-fair…"

"I am a first class warrior and I won't hesitate to kill, not even my own brother if need be. Now say goodbye."

His foot moved downwards. A sickening snap echoed from Goku's chest. He threw his head back and released a scream filled with agony. His older brother continued pounding into his chest, ordering for him to beg for mercy.

He paused in his assault and turned to Piccolo, "Try your little trick again? I'm waiting."

"Its no use…I need more time!" Something that he did not have. Piccolo was about to give up, when a familiar voice entered his ears.

"Here!"

Raditz extended one arm and jerked around. His fingers coiled around Zelena's throat, who had been trying to grab at his tail.

"Idiot! If your going to try that stupid little trick again, then you should be quiet about it!" He removed his foot from Goku's chest. Grabbing the back of her kimono with his other hand, he rammed his knee into her stomach. Blood was ejected from his throat and onto the ground.

He dropped to her to the ground. Bringing his leg upwards, he paused before allowing it fall. A sickening snap echoed from her back as his heel connected with her body. Zelena threw her head back and screamed as if someone were trying to murder her before her body went limp. She was paralyzed from the neck down.

Raditz knelt down and grabbed the front of her kimono. Pulling her up, he began ruthlessly punching her face. Blood poured from her mouth and nose, and she could nothing to defend herself.

The cold-blooded Saiyan's voice trembled with fury as he continued to taunt the trio, "The three of you are absolutely pathetic! I've seen _children _put up a better fight," his hand rose into the air, fingers aiming downward at Zelena's back, "Now die!!!"

There was a loud beeping noise.

Raditz came to an abrupt halt and allowed his arms to drop to his waist. He glanced back and forth in search. "I'm picking up an enormous power level." The strange man seemed to be speaking to himself. His scouter was unable to detect the source of the power level, which caused the Saiyan's anxiety to grow.

"There's…nothing there."

There was an explosion. He and Piccolo turned to see what had caused such a sound. Hovering above the crater they found young Gohan. His adorable face was twisted with white hot fury. The remains of Raditz's space pod scattered around the boy.

"What the Hell!?"

Gohan did a front flip and landed on the edge of the crater. His body trembled with anger.

"Goku, look over at the crater, it's your son!" the green man shouted as he continued to charge his attack.

Zelena would have done the same as the raven haired male, but her neck was paralyzed; as was the rest of her body. She able to determine that her spine had been snapped in half.

"But how did you…!?" the boy's uncle was speechless.

Goku looked at his son with weak chocolate colored irises. He was relieved to see that his son had a chance to escape, "G-Gohan…eh…D-Daddy can't get up right now…run away from here…!" His fingers twitched, "R-Run away…ngh…Gohan…!"

Crimson light enveloped the small boy's body as he screamed, "LEAVE MY DADDY ALONE!!!" He propelled himself across the gap separating himself and his uncle, squealing at the top of his lungs.

Raditz was paralyzed with shock. All he could do was watch as the boy flew at him with amazing speed for such a young child.

And then his head collided with the older male's chest, successfully cracking his armor.

The force of the blow was enough to send shockwaves of pain through the adult male's body as he stumbled backwards. Gohan hit the ground, landing beside his wounded father.

"W-what the…!? He clutched at his chest, eyes wide with shock.

Goku used his elbows to prop himself up. He blinked, "Gohan?"

"Huh?" the little boy stood up, "Daddy!"

His father's shocked expression was replaced with a serious look, "Go, get out of here."

"But Daddy…" the little boy whimpered.

Raditz recovered from the attack far too soon. He clenched his fist and narrowed his eyes, "No-one has ever done that to me…" he growled.

"Stay back!" Goku ordered. Although there was little he could do.

Raditz slowly began making his way towards the child. He used his scouter to check his power level. It was reduced to the weak level of seven-hundred and ten. "Hey kid, what happened to all of that power?"

"W-what power?" he stumbled away from the frighteningly tall man.

His fingers closed into a fist, "Play dumb if you want…I'LL KICK YOUR ASS EITHER WAY!!!"

"Daddy help!" Gohan screamed before Raditz swung his fist. His knuckles connected with the child and sent him flying several yards away.

"GOHAN!!!" The child did not move.

Raditz began making his way towards the unconscious child, determined to end his short life. "Please don't hurt him!" Goku plead, "He's just a boy!"

"Yes," his elder brother agreed, "He's just a little boy, that's true. But he's very strong. And his power level is even higher then yours little brother. And if he ever learns to control it then it would be very bad for us. So as you can see, I have no choice." _I'll give Zelena the same treatment after I finish the brat. She reacted the same way he did. At first, she had a weak power level. And then her power went up greatly, only she became even stronger then me. Both she and my nephew are a threat and therefore I must get rid of them before they can cause any more damage. _

"Wait…you can't…!" he tried to drag his wounded body over to his brother, but it was no use.

Raditz came to a stop in front of his unconscious nephew. His arm extended upwards and began to emit pink electricity. _You and my cousin are the only Saiyans to ever damage me like this. The two of you are true Saiyans. And thus, your deaths shall be worthy of Saiyan. _

Using the last of his strength, Goku lunged at his sibling just as he was about to bring his attack down on the boy. He looped his arms around Raditz's shoulders, making it impossible for him to tear the younger brother off.

"You wretch!" he attempted to shake Goku off, however the younger male was glued to him like a leech, "I should've killed you!

Goku leaned over the other male's shoulder, "Piccolo! Your attack! Let's go!"

A low chuckle escaped the green man's lips, "Goku, sometimes you amaze even me. Now hold tight. This'll take some time," he quickly added "And don't listen anything he says!" for good measure. He did not need a repeat of what happened with the Saiyan's tail.

Raditz struggled to remove Goku, but the younger was stuck to him, "See, it never pays to tell a lie! Now does it?"

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!" he tried to step on his younger brother's foot, but Goku managed to avoid it. He reached back and gripped the younger male's hair and began pulling on it, but he did not leg go. "KAKARROTT! HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO DODGE THAT BEAM AND HOLD ME AT THE SAME TIME!?"

His brother had a point. But his next answer surprised the older male, "Your right. I guess we'll both go."

"WHAT!? THAT'S LUDICROUS!!!" Goku jerked Raditz around so that he was in the direct path of the beam. "YOU'LL BE KILLED! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT!?"

He posed a good question. But then again, Goku was a man full of surprises. "As long as it beats you then yeah!"

"Hold on Goku, I'm almost ready!" Piccolo shouted. A small spread across his face, allowing the others to see his sharp canines, "So your going to sacrifice yourself…" he chuckled, "Goku, how very _noble _of you. And how convenient for me."

_But even if I do kill you, its only a matter of time before your friends wish you back with the dragon balls. _His veins became visible. He held two clawed fingers close to his forehead. Yellow electricity flashed as the attack continued to charge.

Raditz desperately fought to break free from Goku's hold, but the damage left from Gohan's attack had weakened him greatly. Not to mention his earlier fight with Zelena did not help in the least. He took the time to check the green man's attack. "No! If that hits we're finished!"

He glanced at his brother, "LOOK! If you don't let me go right now…ngh…we're finished!!!"

"What's wrong? You seem a little scared _brother._" The younger male taunted.

"You're a Saiyan! Don't sacrifice yourself for these earthlings!!!"

"Nice to know that your so worried about me."

Piccolo extended his arm towards the two men, "Prepare yourself Goku. Its time!" He threw the attack forward, "_**Special Beam Cannon!!!**_" The same rays of light from before shot towards them, combing into one complete ray of light.

"KAKARROTT!!!" Raditz screamed as the beam pierced straight through his body. His younger brother soon joined him, squealing in agony like a dying dog. He released the older of the two Saiyans and fell backwards, while his brother collapsed forwards.

Blood spurt from Raditz's mouth and the hole in his chest. Goku was choking on his blood as well.

"D-DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!!!" Both brothers hit the ground. They were unable to move…

**End of this chapter. Finally, the whole fight with Raditz can end. Well, you'll find out what happens to Zelena in the next chapter. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	9. Chapter 9

**And here is the next chapter. Now, there might be a few time skips in the next two or so chapters. I am **_**terrible **_**at thinking of fillers (and that might be a good thing). So, without further adieu…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 8: Proposition**

"_I believe in Christianity as I believe_

_That the sun has risen_: _not only because I see it_,

_But because by it I see everything else_."

-C.S. Lewis

Piccolo gasped. His body trembled with exhaustion. Using the Special Beam Cannon twice in a row was taxing. What annoyed him the most was that Raditz was still talking to himself.

He approached the man, deciding to rub the truth in his face. "You, your going to die alone. Goku will come back to life in about a week or so."

"W-what…that's impossible…" a sickening gurgle could be heard in the back of his throat. Blood poured from his lips shortly after the sound had been made. "…h-how…!?"

_I'm going to enjoy this. _Might as well finish off the man's pride before he passed on. "Gladly," he paused, taking in the sweet smell of victory, "On this planet we have something that we call 'dragon balls'. When all seven balls are brought together, they have the power to grant _any _wish. Even to bring the dead back to life. So you see, Goku is the true victor here."

"No…" Piccolo did not like the fact that this new bit of information was causing the dying Saiyan to chuckle. People usually do not laugh when they are on the brink of death. "…I'm afraid your wrong…" he hacked more blood before continuing, "…t-this device on my face…it's…ngh…its also a transmitter…uh…eh…my Saiyan…comrades h-hear-rd every single word…"

This caught the green man's attention, "Huh?"

"T-the two of them…now they'll come…I-I know they will…eh-huh…" his face twisted with pain, and he coughed out a decent amount of blood. It was like a small river was steadily evacuating his body. "…they will…I k-know they will…and once they arrive…tch-huh…you'll be powerless to stop them…_they'll _seek out these dragon balls and they'll destroy everything else in their path…you…and every living thing…o-on this planet…will die…"

"When? When will they come?"

With the last bit of his strength, Goku cocked his head so that he could see his brother. Piccolo was amazed that he managed to hold on to life this long. Saiyans were such stubborn creatures.

"One year…" was his brother's reply, "…and the funny thing is…" a weak chuckle caused his shoulders to shake, "…they're much stronger then me…!"

Piccolo appeared to be in shock. _Stronger. One year. _It took everything they had just to kill one Saiyan. Imaging two of them, which were stronger then that one man was…'

No. He did not want even think about it.

Raditz's voice seemed to strain as he continued to speak, "So enjoy…this little victory of yours today…it means…it means nothing…! Your as good as dead…I only hope…I'm back in time to see it happen…don't look so upset…we can't all have the last laugh…" laughter escaped along with blood.

Out of fury, Piccolo's clawed hand dove towards Raditz. It pierced his back and impaled his heart, killing him instantly.

"Thanks for the warning," Piccolo shook the blood from his hand, although a majority of it remained. "Your Saiyan friends will receive the same treatment soon enough," he looked to his dying rival, "Goku, its over."

A strange sound echoed from the sky.

Piccolo looked upwards. He saw an ivory and yellow aircraft flying towards the area. _Those must be Goku's friends. _

He walked away from the deceased Saiyan and to where he had left his discarded clothing. Taking a moment, he slipped the turban and his weighted cloak back. _Now…as for those other two… _

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A vast world enshrouded in darkness surrounded the vast ocean known as space. Stars resembling silver diamonds sewn into a high-class ebony quilt glimmered within the deep dephs of darkness. Some of these stars had long since burned out; nearby planets were finally receiving the light that they radiated after nearly a century of waiting. Small dust clouds of varying colors churned to life. They resembled a dancer adorned in dresses crafted by the most talented tailors that money could buy. Colors ranging from vibrant sapphire blues to hot pink could be seen.

There was one particular planet hovering in the vast emptiness. It was a brown-gold. A sapphire blue planet hovered nearby.

This brown-yellow planet was often butt of several jokes on Earth; the reason behind this being its name, which was Uranus.

Heavy toxic fumes made up the sky, making it dangerous for the outsiders to fly. But the inhabitants on this planet were immune to the poison.

Beyond the hideous fumes were beautiful and exotic forestry. Strange, tall plants protruded from the ground. Unseen animals that looked like the cross between a cockroach and a horse fluttered about.

Passing the long river that seemed to stretch on for miles there was a small town.

Smoke drifted from the burning buildings. Beyond the city, near the bank where the bank ends, there was a small campfire.

Crouching near the fire was a large man. He was probably in his late forties to early fifties. His facial structure bore high, distinctive cheekbones and a square chin. He was around seven foot, which was not average for a full grown adult male. Well toned muscles could be seen through his skin, which was tanned a light gold almost. The sun glinted off of his bald cranium. He wore a familiar ivory scouter, with the monocle being a light blue. Black armor lined with white protected his torso from harm. Two sharp, golden blades lined with black guarded his shoulders. He wore the same black and white leather gauntlets as Raditz did. A dark brown furry tail was strapped around his waist. Golden crotch guards were added to the mix. Like Raditz, he wore black mini short and boots lined with ivory to match. A skinny mustache decorated his upper lip.

"Raditz stinks." He grumbled as sat on the corpse of a bug-like creature whose body was shapped like a human. His strong arms were resting on his thighs.

"He is a complete disgrace." A deep, male voice said from across the campfire.

The tall burly man did not travel alone. A young man was lounging on the ground across from him. One leg crossed over the other as he bit into the arm of a deceased bug-creature. His face contorted in disgust and he spit the meat out. The younger of the two appeared to be around the age of twenty-eight. Unlike the older male, his facial structure was slender and quite handsome. His flesh was of a lighter tone as well. Dark brown hair that could easily be mistakened for black was spiked upwards like a set of flames. The ivory scouter was hooked onto his left ear; the translucent monocle was colored red. Sharp, cold black irises looked upwards at the sky. He threw his arms behind his head, allowing himself some comfort as he used the corpse as a makeshift couch. He wore a one-piece, dark blue spandex outfit that covered his entire body save for his neck and collarbone. Ivory armor ensured that his torso would not suffer any harm when encountering conflict. Golden, spiked pads lined with white protected his shoulders. White leather gloves covered his arms from the elbows down to the tips of his fingers. His dark brown, furry tail coiled around his waist. Golden crotch guards protected a sensitive area of his anatomy. Last, he wore gold tipped, short white boots. Unlike his tall ally, this man was no taller then five foot four.

"It is pathetic that he was defeated by men with such low power," the shorter of the two mused as he gazed at the fume made clouds, "There is only one of those weaklings that seemed remotely threatening, and that was the woman," he cocked his head to the side, "What was her name again?"

The giant of the duo looked thoughtful for a moment, "Zelena?"

"Yes…_Zelena_…" He spoke the name as if remembering a past acquaintance. _Ah, Zelena. I never thought that I would see you again. _

"Maybe we should teach those earthlings a lesson." The other suggested.

He shook his head, "That would be a waste of time. However, I am curious about those dragon balls," excitement began to rise in his voice, "just think of the possibilities, Nappa. If we can get our hands all seven of those dragon balls, then we can wish for _anything _we want. Anything at all," he wore a grin resembling a child on Christmas morning, "Wouldn't you say that's worth a little trip?"

"Hell yeah!" he punched the air as he answered his leader.

Using his hands to steady himself, the shorter of the two males hauled himself into a sitting position. He rose to his feet and began walking towards the trees.

The two quickly made their way through the deep jungle of the planet. Minutes passed before they found two space pods. They looked the same as Zelena and Raditz's pods had.

"Once we force Kakarrott's friends to tell us about the dragon balls we'll eliminate them." the short male Saiyan explained as he ducked past a low lying branch. The muddy grass made a sickening noise as he approached his ship. Using his left arm, he leaned on the pod that was towards the far left of the small clearing.

"And then we'll wish Raditz back to life." Nappa suggested.

The brain of the operation shook his head, "No. That would be a wasted wish…" he paused, as if thinking deeply, "…Raditz was a weakling and fool," he brought the tip of his thumb to his chin, "any Saiyan who is defeated so easily doesn't deserve to live."

Only the sound of the exotic foul and insects could be heard for a mere second.

The younger of the two brightened as he was struck with inspiration, "Actually Nappa…I have something far more grand in mind. Now tell me: how does the idea of eternal life sound to you?"

"Huh? Living forever?" a wide grin spread across his face, "Sounds cool," He reached into his armor and pulled a small remote control out. After pressing one of the buttons, the door to his pod slid downwards. "If we can't die then that means no-one will ever be able to stop us."

Due to his enormous size, the small craft was quite cramped. One of the many reasons he despised traveling for long periods of time.

The man clad in blue and white pulled a flat, silver rectangular remote from his own armor and clicked a random button. The door hissed as it unlocked and fell open. His small size made traveling quite comfortable. The only problem being he got bored easily. He plopped into the soft seat and leaned back. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"We'll surpass all others and ascend to our rightful place among the Saiyan warriors of legend."

Nappa glanced at the pod his boss was sitting in, "Do you mean…?"

"That's right, Nappa," his smirk widened and his eyebrows narrowed, "We'll become _Super Saiyans_."

"Ah Hell yeah! What're we waiting…" The door to Nappa's pod slid shot, cutting off whatever he had been about to say.

The short man reached for a small button hidden under the seat. He clicked it, causing a holographic control panel to appear in front of him. After pressing the button on his pod, the door locked after fully shutting. Checking the logs on his scouter, he quickly input Earth's coordinates in the pod's internal computer. The hologram vanished just as it appeared.

The small pod slowly levitated off of the moist jungle floor and ascended into the sky. The toxic fumes were ineffective as it broke through the atmosphere and into the airless vacuum of space.

_Well Zelena…Kakarrott… it seems that I'm coming for a little visit… _

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The vibrant blue sky continued to cloak the Earth. The journey that ensues shortly after a cloud's birth did not cease. The planet remained blissfully unaware of what transpired that day. Farmland that once thrived with life was barren of animals.

Only eight beings could be seen in the vast field. Four of them had fallen in the midst of combat, while the remaining four were looking after their dearest comrades. A yellow aircraft lined with ivory was parked nearby the small party.

Krillin knelt beside his fallen childhood friend. Goku, whose clothing had been torn to shreds and whose body was smeared with gashes and blood, was on the brink of death. Out of worry for the child, Bulma scooped young Gohan into her arms, cradling him as if he were an infant. Master Roshi went to stand beside his dying pupil. The Saiyan Raditz was lying on the ground in a puddle of his own blood; he had already passed by the time his younger brother's friends had arrived. Zelena had not moved since her last encounter with her unforgiving cousin.

The bald man gripped his dying friend's hand, a look of despair in his darkened irises, "Goku! Goku hold on!" He dug a small pale green bean out of his pocket, "Here, eat the senzu bean."

Krillin tried to stick the small bean into his friend's mouth, but Goku shook his head weakly, "N-no…it won't do me any good…sorry," he cocked his head so that he could look at his fallen cousin, "give it to…Zelena…I think she broke her b-back…"

Bulma took over Krillin's place as said man rose to his feet and ran to the fallen female Saiyan.

"Huh?" he came to a stop when he reached her broken body. "This is the girl that was on the island with Goku?"

His friends looked to her, all of their faces melting from confusion and into surprise.

The young woman's dark countenance had changed drastically. Her long flowing black hair tinted with a dark purple was different. The color had changed to a beautiful dark, rose-red. The tone of her skin was lighter, although it was not light enough to be considered pale. Her eyes, which were open and starring at the sky in shock, were still a shimmering glacier blue. Even the fur on her tail had changed from black to a dark brown.

Goku lifted his head to see what his friend had meant. He could barley see it; the black blotches tearing at his already obscured vision were making it difficult to see. Losing the remainder of his strength, Goku's head hit the ground again. He managed to catch a glimpse of his wounded cousin.

_Now that I think about it…she did look a little different when we got here. Guess we were so busy that we didn't notice. _He thought. Questioning the strange occurrence would be a waste of time for him.

Krillin couched beside the young woman and carefully lifted her body slightly, "Hey? Are you awake? Tell me if this hurts."

"No…doesn't…" she breathed lightly. She seemed to be in shock.

The bald man reached beneath her and pressed his fingers against the center of her back. From the way her spine was bending, it had been broken in two. _Damn…that's harsh. _"Here, eat this. It'll heal your back and the paralysis." He stuck the senzu bean past her lips.

Weakly, she chewed on the small bean and swallowed.

A second passed. She remained still. At first, she could not feel a thing. The numbness had come over her when the spikey haired man snapped her spinal cord in half. She was lucky to have survived the action. Once she swallowed the bean, a cold sensation washed over her entire being both mentally and physically. It was a wonderful feeling. Her body began to itch for a moment and then tingle as if she were being tickled. The next second, a disgusting cracking sound echoed from her back. Her bruises and cuts vanished immediately. All feeling returned to her body.

Blinking, Zelena used her arms to prop herself up. She massaged her forehead and looked to the short bald man. A smile spread across her face, "Thanks."

She got to her feet and followed Krillin as he returned to Goku's side. He grasped the dying man's hand, a determined look in his eyes, "Don't worry buddy, we'll get all of the dragon balls and bring you back soon. I promise."

"T-thanks…Krillin…" blood spurt from his lips as his body convulsed violently. He smiled at his friends as though he were barley capable of staying conscious, "…please…take care of…of Gohan…okay…see…you…" his eyelids slid closed, signaling the end of the young man's life.

Hurt flooded into the shorter male's irises, "Goku?" He did not receive a response. "Goku!"

"Why did this have to happen?" Bulma whispered, her head hanging, "I thought that all of the fighting could end after we…" she paused when she remembered that a certain green man was standing right beside her.

"Goku fought bravely and…what the!?" Roshi would have gone into a speech about how proud he was of his student, but without warning, Goku's body vanished. Only a puddle of blood was left.

Krillin jumped in surprise, "W-what happened!?"

"Kami must've taken him." Piccolo muttered, gazing at the spot where his archrival once lay.

Bulma looked at him strangely, "Kami took him?"

"Yeah," he did not look very concerned, "My other half," he chuckled, "That meddling old fool. I don't know why and to be honest I really don't care," He turned away from the small band and began walking away. "Goku's dead either way."

The short man looked to his teacher, "What do you think, Master Roshi?"

"Kami is the guardian of the Earth…whatever he's doing we can rest easy knowing that his intentions are good." The old man replied.

Zelena was standing near the spot where her deceased cousin once was, starring at the ground in thought, "What happened? Why did that guy disappear?"

"A mysterious being known as Kami took his body away," Bulma cocked her head to the side, "and I thought you didn't know how to talk."

The girl bearing a brown tail looked at her strangely, "Well of course I can talk. What gave you the idea that I couldn't?"

"Well…" the teal-haired woman seemed a little confused, "…Goku said you couldn't, so…" _She's so weird. First her appearance changes, and now she can talk and understand us just like anyone else. _

"Who's Goku?"

Bulma's jaw fell, "The guy who just died!" She had lost her temper slightly. _She's acting like she doesn't remember any of us! What's her problem? _

"Oh…sorry about your loss." She looked saddened by the information for a moment. Zelena crossed her arms over her chest; she seemed to be deep in thought.

Krillin stepped away from the group and scooped Gohan's hat up, "I'll feel better when we get all the dragon balls and wish Goku back." He coughed as if to gather everyone's attention.

"Ugh…" Bulma groaned in aggravation, "If only Yamcha were here, he'd be able to help us. Why is it he never here when we need him?"

Krillin glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, "Maybe because you dumped him?" He suggested.

"Shut it," she hissed before calming, "I have another question: how was that guy able to track Goku? I mean, Earth's a pretty big place and he found him immediately."

Piccolo was starring at the sky when he spoke, "The device on his face is a sensor. It can detect strong power levels and track their location." He seemed to know everything.

Bulma carefully handed the unconscious child to Master Roshi. She retrieved the blue scouter that Goku had given her and then carefully made her way to Raditz's corpse. "Can you come here Krillin?"

"Uh sure," he set the boy's hat on his stomach and joined his friend's side, "What do you need me to do?"

She gestured to the fallen Saiyan, "Take it off."

"Ew…" reluctantly, he reached down, "…you gotta be kidding." He groaned in disgust as he wrenched the device off of the corpse's head and gave it to Bulma.

She slipped it on just as Raditz had and looked at Krillin. Odd characters appeared on the small screen. "Hmm…" she clicked on random buttons, but nothing seemed to work. She checked Zelena's scouter, and found that it was the same as the green one. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled a small tool that could unfold into an assortment of objects. She opened the small screw driver and began picking at the green scouter.

The back of the small device popped open. "Wow, look at all of this!" she gawked at the small silver wires and azure lights within. Picking at them carefully, she continued to speak, "It's definitely damaged but I think I can fix it."

"That looks really cool."

Bulma yelped and jerked her head to the right, finding Zelena standing over her shoulder. "What is that thing?"

_That guy must've have done a number on her. She can't remember a single thing…at last she can talk now. _Of course, not even that made sense. Zelena replaced Goku as the walking enigma. She was far more eccentric then the male Saiyan could ever hope to be.

"Um…it's a locater that this guy had. It let him scan other's power levels and see how strong they are, and then find them," she gestured to the green man, "that's what he says, anyway. I can't tell; the readings are in some foreign language."

Krillin was gazing at her, awestruck, "Wow Bulma, you're a genius!"

"I know I am," she replied with a bright smile, "now we should go back to Master Roshi's. When I fix these two devices, we can go look for Yamcha and maybe Tien, too."

The elderly man nodded his head in agreement, "C'mon, let's get going!"

"But first we should take Gohan home." The teal-haired female looked to the small scouter in her hand.

Krillin and Roshi turned their attention to Piccolo, "I guess we'll be seeing 'ya." Their faces fell when they saw the look on his face.

Piccolo was starring at them, his face twisted with pain and rage. The trio slowly began to back away as his body twitched and he extended the stub that had once been his left arm out to the side. Zelena stared at him like a curious puppy; she did not understand the reactions of the others. Although his expression was making her feel a little uncomfortable.

Deep grunting noises escaped his throat as he turned his attention to his little stub. Releasing a cry of pain, a perfectly formed, brand new arm grew from the tiny stub. It was covered in dark purple blood. He began stretching and twitching his arm, curious to see if it would work properly.

"That's…handy…" the bald human whimpered, gazing at Piccolo with wide eyes. Bulma was paralyzed with a mixture of both shock and fear.

His face calmed to the usual stoic expression. He massaged the flesh that connected the new arm to the old stub, and returned his gaze to the small gang, "Before you leave I have a request to make. This will probably sound a little strange, but put your emotions aside for a moment and think with a clear head," he dropped his old right arm, "I want Goku's son and the woman to come with me for special training."

"No way!" Krillin clenched his fists and glared at the green man, "Why should we let you take them!? You'll just try to eat them or something!"

His claim offended the other male. "I don't eat people!" He spat angrily.

"Then why? _Why_ do you want to train them?" The scientist of the group asked. She seemed to be willing to listen his explanation, unlike the other humans that stood by her side. Zelena did not comment on his proposition.

"On the way to the field, I felt an extremely powerful power level," he looked to the female Saiyan, "I'm pretty sure that it was her. And it looks like she had gotten into a fight with the guy before we arrived. And then the boy exhibited strength that far surpassed four of us, so I'm pretty sure he could become the most powerful person on Earth with proper training. The woman seems to be on the same level," he looked to said female, "Do you remember anything from the fight with that guy?"

She tapped her chin for a moment, hesitating to answer his question. After a quick second she responded, "Other then trying to grab his tail, watching you guys fight each other, and then getting my spine snapped in half? Nothing."

"Nothing?" his eyebrows furrowed, "I see…" he turned his attention back to the others, "…if I can teach the two of them to control their power properly, then they can be useful in defending Earth when those other Saiyans arrive."

He crossed his arms over his broad chest, "The boy might be too young, but I have high hopes in the woman. But we should try anyway."

"B-but your right," Krillin said nervously, "He's probably too young…and Zelena shouldn't fight after she _just_ healed. The senzu beans might wear off." That was a lie. The beans' power never wore off. She was ready to challenge anyone who stepped in her path.

Roshi's eyes narrowed, "But you would have to ask the boy's mother."

"I'm not _asking_ I'm _telling!_" he spat. The power in his voice caused the three fragile humans to flinch. "Look, nothing else is as important as defeating the other Saiyans. I'll take good care of the boy and the woman, alright?" Aiming one forward towards the sky, a green light rippled around the claw like water.

The humans watched as Gohan was lifted away from Roshi and hovered across the gap, landing on Piccolo's waiting arm.

He looked to Zelena, "You, woman, come with me."

"Sure." She nodded and walked towards him, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see, just…"

Her eyebrows narrowed as he began to levitate, "But I can't fly." Without saying a word, Piccolo reached out to her with his other arm; in one swift movement, Piccolo's arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her towards him, so that she was starring at the ground rather then him or the others.

She glared at him, "This is a little uncomfortable."

"Well get used to it." He was not the type to baby others. That much was for certain.

Krillin shook with worry as he drifted away from the ground, "Wait! Why're you going with him, Zelena? You don't even know him!"

"Well I don't know you, do I?" one of her eyebrows rose, "So what does it matter who I go with?"

_She's missing the point! _Bulma gave a sigh and shook her head. _Yes…she's definitely Goku's cousin. She's just as clueless as _he _is. _

"When Goku gets back, tell him he can look forward to see his son and his cousin one year from now, alright?"

With that being said, Piccolo ascended into the azure blue sky, leaving the humans to their thoughts…

**Yes, a lot is going on with Zelena. All will be explained in future chapters. Just please be patient with me. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	10. Chapter 10

**And here is the next chapter. Now there will be a little filler…most of it pertaining to Gohan and Zelena's training. There won't be too many fillers seeing as I know how much people hate fillers. Just enough to get some character development in with my OC. **

**All of the oddities surrounding my OC continue in this chapter. So, without further adieu… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 9: Explanations **

"_In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe_

_And enough shadows to blind those who don't_."

-Blaise Pascal

The wind whistled as a familiar green man adorning purple and white soared across the forest. The sky was still a vibrant shade of blue. The planet remained blissfully unaware of what transpired that day.

The female Saiyan was clung to his torso in fear; she was not accustomed to flight.

Air cooled considerably as one ascended into the sky. Spring accurately described the temperature; on the ground, it felt as though it were the middle of summer. Zelena had not said a word since they had left the others in the field. The green man was such an intimidating individual; and yet, she still felt safe when in his presence. She did not understand the fear the others displayed upon seeing him. His appearance was a little odd, though.

But there were pressing matters weighing on her mind. Her memories. Zelena could not remember a single thing. She could only recall the battle between Goku, the green man, and the dark haired male. There were even words in her vocabulary with hidden definitions.

_Why do I have a tail and those other people didn't? They looked like me, but they didn't have tails. But the kid has a tail… _That and she did not understand why she decided to leave with Piccolo. The short man was right. She did not know him; but she was not acquainted with the others either. But her instincts told her to leave with Piccolo. _Why? _

She watched as they flew over a long, radiant forest. Soon the lush forestry melted into something that was unfamiliar.

"Piccolo," she called, "what is that?"

He glanced downwards and then back to the path ahead, "A city."

The city was quite large. Tall, mainly white and yellow, buildings protruded from the concrete paved roads and sidewalks. Tubes ran from one place to another, allowing for faster travel. Vehicles with the ability to hover in midair soared from one destination to the other. She was fascinated with the sight.

"Are we going to the city?"

"No." He replied in a flat voice.

_You don't have to be so rude. _The city sped away as they continued onward. It was replaced with dunes of sand that rose high into the air. The temperature began to warm up, causing Zelena to feel uncomfortable.

Lush green grass sprouted from the ground within minutes of entering the desert. Tall plateaus pushed upward from the land. Trees and shrubbery dotted the land. Eventually they came to a large pond. Piccolo skidded to a stop while in midair and slowly descended into the water. Before touching the clear liquid, his right arm extended outward, dropping the female Saiyan into the cool water.

A splash sounded as she hit the cold water. The young woman leapt to her feet; the ripped and torn kimono clung to her skin. She tried to shake the water off, but she had little luck in doing so.

Piccolo held the unconscious boy at arm's length, his eyebrows furrowed, "Wake-up. You've slept long enough," he called to the sleeping child. He did not receive the response he had been hoping fear. Groaning in irritation, Piccolo released the back of Gohan's bright yellow shirt. The tiny child sunk like a rock. The adults watched as tiny bubbles surfaced.

Surprised by his current situation, Gohan awoke from his slumber and jerked his head from the water, gasping and coughing.

"Get up! There's no time to waste." the older male barked as if he were commanding a soldier.

Zelena's maternal instincts slowly began to kick in. She looked at Piccolo disapprovingly, "C'mon, be a little gentle. He's just a kid."

"He won't learn anything if I baby him…neither will you." He did not look away from the now terrified child as he spoke.

Gohan began jerking his head back and forth, slowly backing away from the tall green man, "W-where am I!? Where's my dad? Dad?" he began wadding through the water in circles, sobbing and screaming for his father, "Daddy! Help me! THE BAD PICCOLO MAN HAS ME!!! DADDY!" When he was several meters away, Gohan ceased his running and simply cried. "HELP ME DADDY!!!"

She pitied the poor boy."That's enough," Piccolo motioned for the woman to follow him as he made his way to the center of the pod, "We don't have time for this!" Gohan tried to flee from the green man, but Piccolo stooped down and griped the back of his head, holding him in place.

He hoisted Gohan into the air by his head and stomped towards the bank. The Saiyan woman followed him silently.

Once the boy and female were standing in front of him, Piccolo quickly put a stop to the child's pathetic sniveling, "Shut-up!" he clenched his hand into a fist, "If you make one more sound, I'll give you something to cry about!"

"What an arse…" she muttered, her tail swishing back and forth in annoyance.

He glared at her fiercely, "Watch it," then turned his attention back Gohan. The boy forced his weeping to come to a stop; he quietly sniffled and whimpered instead.

"Good," he dropped the threatening pose, "Now, kid, I want you to listen carefully," this message was meant for the child, so Zelena focused on something else rather then her future mentor, "Your father is dead."

That one sentence caught the little boy's attention. He gazed up at the tall man with wide, puffy tear stained eyes. "Wha?"

Without a moment's hesitation, he launched into his explanation, "While you were unconscious, he died while he tried to defeat the man who kidnapped you. He gave up his life in order to save yours."

The adult female watched as the shock settled in. Slowly, the tears began to sting Gohan's eyes. "Uh…Daddy…" his voice cracked and his face twisted with emotional pain.

"Don't you _dare _cry!" Piccolo snapped. He reached out as though he were about to strike him with his palm.

That was the final straw. The light haired woman stomped up to the green man, eyes narrowed dangerously, "Will you just let him cry already?" He looked at her with surprise, "The poor kid just lost his dad! Give him a moment to collect himself!"

"Will you shut-up and let me finish talking!? I'm not done yet!"

She sighed and stepped back, eyebrows knitted together in irritation. Shaking the annoyance away, Piccolo crossed his arms, the stern expression never falling from place. "Now, your father told you about the dragon balls, right?" Gohan's tiny head bobbed up and down, "Well, his friends are planning to use them to bring your father back. Until then, you and Zelena will stay here and undergo my training, understand?"

His voice rose in volume, "The both of you are going to learn how to fight. Goku and I just _barely_ managed to defeat that Saiyan today! And now, two more Saiyans that are even stronger then the one we just fought are coming to Earth in one year. We won't be able to defeat them alone, so I need the both of you to cooperate. We can use all the help we can get."

"But how…" the female began, only to be interrupted by a frantic Gohan.

The little boy's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, "But I can't! I'm just a little kid! I'm too young to fight with grownups!"

"Listen, you might not be aware of it now, but you have an incredible power deep down inside," she could tell that the man was becoming fed up with Gohan's constant whining, "If you learn to control that power, then you can become one of the strongest fighters on Earth."

He shook his head in disagreement, "No! I don't have any power!" He insisted.

A wide grin tore Piccolo's jaw in half, "Allow me to demonstrate." His clawed hand dropped onto the child's head.

"Piccolo!" the woman with chestnut-pink colored hair snapped, "Stop it!"

"Shut-up and watch." Gohan trashed around as Piccolo reared his arm back. With incredible strength, the adult male threw little Gohan at one of the tall, thick plateaus.

Gohan cried as he was sent soaring towards the plateau, too afraid to do anything. The Saiyan woman was afraid that the small child would suffer severe damage until he threw his hands out. Ivory light engulfed his entire body; a look of determination twisted his cute features. The blast was propelled from the small child; it swam forward and struck the plateau, completely blowing the mound of rock away. Gohan landed on his rear in the grass, gazing at what he done in awe. Only a shallow crater remained.

"Wow," the female breathed, "he's pretty good."

She followed the man as he went to join the awestruck child. The woman knelt beside him, a soft smile on her face, "You're really good at that light trick Gohan."

"I…_I _did that?" he asked, still finding it difficult to accept.

She nodded her head, "M-hm."

"It's very rare for a boy your age to have such power," Piccolo began, eyes still glued to the shallow crater, "You used this same power to help your father earlier. But if you plan to use it, then you must learn to control it. That is the reason we're here," from the change in his tone, it was obvious that he was speaking to the both of them now, "I'm going to help you both to unlock your potential. Zelena…"

Her eyebrows narrowed after hearing the name, "Zelena?"

"Yes, you. Earlier today…"

"Ugh…please don't call me that," she sighed, looking very displeased with the name, "Zelena sounds stupid."

Piccolo glared at her as if she were the most annoying being he had ever met, "Well blame your parents not me. Now, as I was…"

But she ignored him. The woman was deep in thought, trying to think of a name that would suit her, "Hmmm…maybe I should choose…no…hmmm…"

"Hey!" the green man barked angrily, "Are you even listening!?"

Casually, she turned to him and replied, "No. Not really."

"Well you better start because what I'm telling you is more important then renaming yourself!" his constant yelling was beginning to grate at her nerves.

Forcing herself to stand tall, the woman did not back down from the challenge, "I'm getting sick and tired of you constantly yelling! That's all you've been doing today! I won't listen to anyone who treats me like some lapdog. Now, please let me think of a new name, alright?"

A vein in Piccolo's head twitched, "Oh you'll listen to me, or else I'll throw you at another mountain! Now, I'll give you five seconds to come with another name or else I'll continue to refer to as Zelena no matter what you say! Now, one…two…"

"Hey that's not…!" she began.

"Three…four…"

Panic settled into her mind, causing her to scream the first word that came to mind, "ROXAS!!!"

"Huh…?" Piccolo stared at her for a moment and then shook his head, deciding not to ask, "Whatever…just shut up. Right. _Now._"

The tone in his voice suggested that obedience would be the intelligent path. The newly christened Roxas closed her mouth, too nervous to argue with the intimidating male. _This fight isn't over yet. _She was not sure where this rebellious nature was coming from. It did not feel right to her. _But Roxas is a cooler name then Zelena. That other name sounds stupid. _

"Now, as I was saying before I was _rudely _interrupted," he glanced at Roxas pointedly before continuing, "Earlier today, Roxas, I sensed an extremely high power level. When Goku and I arrived at the field, we found you beaten and unconscious; the Saiyan suffered from some damage as well. He told us that you fought with him. I know that power level belonged to you. But now…I'm not sure why, but you don't even know what fighting is anymore. So, I want to teach you to control your own power as well," he smirked, flashing his sharp canines, "besides, having a Saiyan on our side should give us an advantage."

Her eyebrows knitted together, "What's a Saiyan?"

"You," He deadpanned. "Hopefully, you and Gohan will be ready within a year."

"But…" the little boy gazed at him with cute, innocent eyes, "…I don't want to fight. I wanna be an orthopedist."

Roxas blinked, starring at the child with a confused expression, "An ortho-what-ist?"

The males ignored her. "Hm…is that so?" he found the boy's vocabulary to be quite impressive, "There's nothing stopping you from achieving that goal. But you have to help us defeat the Saiyans first. If we don't stop them, they'll kill everyone on Earth, and then you be able to grow up to be anything."

_He has a point. _The thought of being eliminated after only one year of life did not sound very pleasant. _But what will I do after we beat the Saiyans? I have nowhere to go, and I don't know anything about this world. _

"But I'm scared…"

Piccolo's expression grew harsh and commanding once more as he bared his sharp canines, "YOU'LL BE FAR MORE AFRAID OF _ME_ IF YOU DON'T DO _EXACTLY_ WHAT I SAY!!!" Gohan cringed as the weight of Piccolo's demands began to press down on him, "NO MORE WHINING! IT'S TIME TO START YOUR TRAINING! NOW TAKE OFF THAT COAT!!!:

"B-but…" Gohan whimpered, his eyes threatening to leak, "…why do we have to train with _you?_" He began to unbutton his coat, "Why can't I train with my dad when he gets back?"

His voice was lower in volume when he replied to the boy's question, "Well, there's no telling how long it will take to find each and every dragon ball. Second, the two of you are going to have to learn fast. Unlike your father," he glanced at Gohan specifically as he said that, "I am not going to go easy on either of you. Got it?"

"Understood," By that time, Gohan had finished shedding his bright yellow coat. He folded it neatly and then turned his attention to the older male, "So what're we doing first?"

His smirk was unsettling. "First, you both need to learn how to take care of yourselves," he looked to Roxas directly, "I don't know what you've been doing before we met, but your still undergoing the same training as the kid. I want the two of you to take care of each other. Help each other survive out here in the wilderness. If you two can survive out here for six months without my guidance, I will teach you both how to fight."

"I-I won't be alone will I!?" Gohan was about to panic.

Piccolo fought to roll his eyes at the boy, "No, Zelena will be here with you. However, I _expect _her to treat you as an adult. _Not _like a child," he glared at her, "Don't you _dare _baby him woman."

"I won't, yeesh…" she rolled her eyes. _What's this guy's problem? I won't baby Gohan completely, but I'm not going to treat him like a piece of dirt like this guy would. _

"And beside, even if she wasn't here, you still wouldn't be alone," the five-year-old wore a hopeful expression as he spoke, "because there would be plenty of lions and tigers to keep you company." His face fell immediately.

Roxas decided to cheer the boy up. She pat his small head, consoling him, "But don't worry, I'll be here. We won't get eaten by lions and tigers."

"A-are you sure?" he sniffled.

She nodded, "Positive."

But the child remained pessimistic, "But…I'm still a-afraid."

"Don't worry," the green male chuckled, "You'll laugh at your fears when you're older," his gaze shifted to the wide open field around the trio, "You may not realize it now, but you two have everything you'll need to survive."

The ki fluctuated inside of Piccolo's body, causing him to slowly drift into the air, "Well, I need to go begin my own training."

"But wait!" Gohan called to the man, "What about our needs? We don't have any food o-or water or beds! What are we supposed to do all day? What about my homework!?"

_Man he has a lot to worry about. This kid's a nervous wreck. _Roxas silently debated as to what 'homework' was.

"I thought I said that I wasn't going to go easy on you," those were his exact words. But reasoning with a child is more of a challenge then with a fellow adult. An example would be the differences in Roxas and Gohan's reactions towards being left alone in the wilderness without any supplies other then the clothes on their backs. "I'll be back in six months."

Without another word, the green man cloaked in white ascended into the deep blue sky, disappearing from sight. Gohan called out for him, but he did not heed the child's pleas. Roxas sighed and placed her arms behind her head. _I wonder how long six months is… _

**End of this chapter. The reason behind the name change to Roxas will be explained. Until then, she will be refereed to as Roxas for quite a while. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	11. Chapter 11

**And here is the next chapter. Thank-you for reviewing. Now you get to see how Gohan and Roxas fight to stay alive in the unforgiving wilderness. **

**And, I would like to mention that I have changed the title. The other title was more a marker until I could come up with a title that actually fits the story. This fic and the title is inspired by _Good Enough_, the artist of that song being Evanessance. If you listen to the song (or have already listened to it) then you'll know why this is inspired from it. Please enjoy…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 10: Adjusting **

"_Never be bullied into silence._

_Never allow yourself to be made a victim._

_Accept no one's definition of your life…_

_Define yourself_."

-Harvey Fierstein

Roxas watched on as Piccolo's muscular form vanished into the deep blue ocean dotted with ivory clouds.

Gohan continued to weep while his female counterpart took the time to survey their surroundings; she was not entirely sure what the green man expected them to do. The two remained in the situation until the woman grew fed up with the boy's crying. Now he was wearing nothing but a white tank-top and a matching ivory sash. Baggy dark green pants covered his legs while black shoes acted as his footwear.

She turned to him, a bright smile spreading across her face, "Hey Gohan, wanna go find something to do?"

The boy seemed to forget his fear almost immediately, "Yeah! You wanna play tag?"

"And tag would be?" Earth was such a strange planet to her.

He seemed to be amazed at her lack of knowledge, "You don't know what tag is?"

"No."

"Oh…hmmm…alright," his smile did not falter as he thought of an idea, "I'll teach you how," he ran up to the woman and poked her thigh, "Tag! You're it!"

One of her eyebrows arched, "It?"

"Uh-huh," the tone of his voice changed to that of a teacher speaking with a student, "The person who's 'it' has to chase everyone else around and touch them, also known as tagging, and then that person becomes 'it' and they start chasing everyone. That's how the game works!"

_Sounds boring. But if it'll entertain Gohan… _A wide, demented smile tore her jaw in half, "Then I suggest you start running, kid." She growled menacingly.

Mirth filled laughter escaped the boy as he tore away; Roxas quickly took chase. She made sure not to run too fast and to allow Gohan to escape as he fled from her. But she did try to make it seem as though she were about to tag him. The Saiyan woman followed the small half Saiyan half Human boy along the wide open plains. He made a sharp turn; dirt was propelled into the air as she skidded to a stop, and then pursued him.

Eventually she managed to corner the small boy. He giggled with joy as he backed away from her. The child's eyes darted back and forth as he searched for an escape route. Just as Roxas was about to dive at him, when the look on the boy's face caught her attention.

"Gohan? What's wrong?"

He sprinted passed her, shouting out the problem, "My jacket!"

She turned to see Gohan chasing after his bright yellow coat, which had been lifted away by a gentle breeze.

A soft smile curled at the corners of her lips as she sprinted after the jacket. The wind seemed to work against her. Catching the garment proved to be quite the chore.

Soon it came to a stop as it landed on a high ledge connected to one of the many plateaus.

"M-my jacket." His face fell as he cocked his head so that he could see Roxas.

The female Saiyan twitched her long tail, and moved towards the rock, "I'll…" but she hesitated. _Don't baby him…hmmm…Piccolo is right. I guess babying him won't help out with the learning process and training. But I don't want to be too harsh…uh… _"…hey Gohan, how about you try and get your jacket down?"

"Wha…? But…!"

She gave him a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, nothing bad will happen. I'll stay down here and catch you in case you fall."

He leveled the ledge with a fearful gaze before returning to her glacier blue irises, "Promise?"

"I promise."

He sighed and made his way to hard earth, "Okay." Roxas watched as he gripped the side of the plateau began to shimmy his way up the side.

He lost his grip and fell, prompting the adult to catch him. The ledge was not too high off of the ground; if he did fall and she was unable to guard him, he would not suffer from any serious injury. But she did fulfill her promise.

"Thank-you." He continued to climb, only to fall and end up in her arms once again.

"Try again," she coaxed, "you can do it."

He nodded his head and continued to climb. Seconds passed as he gripped the sides and pulled himself onto the ledge. He retrieved his coat with a wide, adorable little smile on his face.

"I did it!" he called, waving the garment for her to see.

She opened her arms wide for him in case he was too scared to climb down, "Good job! Now come on down."

"Okay-EH!" his body froze as a brown-green snake slithered from inside his jacket. Fear settled into his heart as it moved along his shoulders, sliding down his arm and onto the grassy ledge. The boy watched as it slithered into a crack in the rocks.

"Something wrong?"

He shook his head, body still trembling, "N-no…I'm okay." He turned around as if he were about to jump down, but then pulled his legs back onto the ledge. "Uh…oh…"

Roxas decided to attempt to coax him down again, "Come on."

"M-hm." Carefully, he turned so that he was lying on his stomach. His legs dangled from the edge, and slowly, he pushed his small body off of the side. A cry escaped the boy as he fell. Roxas braced herself as the light child landed in her arms.

"There," she set the tiny child on the ground, "Not so bad, was it?"

He leveled the ledge a disapproving look, "Yeah…I guess so…"

Her eyes returned to the open field, a thoughtful expression furrowing her eyebrows, "Now let's see…there's gotta be somewhere we can go."

"Hey look at that!" her gaze followed the excited monkey-child. They landed on a small, light brown lizard that was stripped with black.

She blinked, "What's that?"

"It's a lizard," He announced, a bright childish smile on his face. She crouched beside him, eyeing the scaly creature with curiosity. As far as she knew, she had never seen anything like it. "Do you know a place where we can stay?"

The small animal gazed at the tall Saiyans with fear and began to scuttle away. Like an adorable little puppy, Gohan got on all fours and began hopping after it; his tail swished back and forth with joy. A lighthearted giggle sounded from the back of Roxas's throat as she decided to join the boy, mimicking the ridiculous position. Although her movements were reminiscent of a graceful walk rather then hopping; her tail swished to and fro, like the small child.

The pair chased after the tiny little lizard, giggling and laughing with mirth as it fled from them.

Gohan stopped when the lizard disappeared inside of a tiny hole, giving neither Saiyan anything to do.

He plopped onto the grass, a forlorn expression on his tiny face, "Oh…it's gone." He sighed.

"Guess so," Roxas leaned against a large grey boulder. _Gotta find something to entertain him with. _"So, what do you do everyday when you're at home?"

The topic seemed to raise his spirits immediately. Children were so easy to entertain sometimes. "Well, I always wake-up early in the morning and make my bed. Then I go take a bath that my mom made for me before I got up. And then I eat a nice warm breakfast and brush my teeth. Then my mom makes my study science and things about the stars. Then I spend a few hours studying mathematics, and then I move on to language arts. And then she has me do SR, also known as Silent Reading. I read a book for an hour and then. And then I get lunch and then thirty minutes to take a break before returning to my studies. After studying for a long time, I eat dinner with my mom and dad and then I usually take a bath with dad. Then I go to bed."

"Uh…" she blinked, a baffled expression on her face, "…how…uh, interesting. Can you tell me what half of that stuff is?"

He was surprised by her lack of knowledge, especially when considering that she was the adult. But the boy launched into his explanation, telling Roxas the definition behind mathematics, what the terms mother and father stood for, and how a daughter and son were included into the equation. But he did not know where children came from for certain.

She continued to ask more and more questions, wanting to learn as much as she could from the planet she was living on.

"And my mom said that a car is…eh…" his face fell as he came to an abrupt, a look of sullen look on his face.

She cocked one eyebrow, "What's wrong?"

"I…gotta _go._" He said.

"Go? Go where?" The true meaning behind the word was not registering in her mind.

Gohan realized this soon enough, "I gotta go to the bathroom!"

"Oh!" He took the time to explain to her what a bathroom was, so she understood what he meant when he told her this. She glanced back and forth, realizing that nothing resembling his description of a toilet was present, "I guess you'll have to go behind a rock or a bush," she rose to her feet and turned away, "I won't look."

"Okay." Gohan go to his feet and trotted over to a small grey rock.

The woman waited until the small boy finished his business and returned to his side; he seemed to be relieved yet still saddened. The sun was already beginning to set. "I wanna go home…" he whimpered.

_Oh no. _It was difficult for her to feel empathy for the boy. She had already forgotten what it was like to have a home. In fact, she was could not remember what it was like to be gifted with a family. But she did feel sympathy for the boy; it must have been hard to be torn away from something so dear to his heart.

"Its okay Gohan, you'll…huh?" The ground began to shake. Slowly, the duo turned to see the source.

A gigantic, hairless, tyrannosaurus rex with skin the color of mud was approaching them. Three horns protruded from its forehead. The Saiyans could see its sharpened silver fangs. Scars from old wounds had been slashed into its face. The carnivore spotted them and did not waste time stomping towards them. Roxas and Gohan froze as it lowered its head and began to sniff them. It mouth was ajar, allowing drool and the putrid stench of decaying flesh to spill forth.

"Uh…hi, I-I'm Gohan." His introduction did not improve matters.

The dinosaur released a mighty roar. "RUN!!!" Both the adult and child spun around and began fleeing for their lives.

Screams of horror ripped through the air as they fled from the starving carnivore, who in turn took chase after its new prey. _Big lizard! _Really _big lizard!!! _The female Saiyan grew frantic as she searched for a place for the pair to hide. A place too small for the dinosaur to fit through, yet big enough for both a grown woman and a small five-year-old child to squeeze into.

The ground shook violently as the monster charged after them. Gohan plead for aid even though he was fully aware that no-one else was in the valley.

Roxas jerked to a stop as the five-year-old tripped over himself, falling to the ground. Her maternal instincts began to take over. "Gohan!" she dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around the boy in a protective ball. _Not as I planned but hopefully this'll do. _She was about to scoop him up and sprint when suddenly, her body went completely numb.

The valley disappeared in a blur of orange, green and brown. A cry of surprise escaped the woman's throat as she and Gohan began to spin in circles rapidly. Her body throbbed as though it were being forced through a tight, slim tube, depriving her of oxygen.

Within seconds, the ordeal was over. Precious oxygen flooded into her lungs as the tube vanished. Cool air lapped at her skin as feeling returned to her body. Her feet touched the grassy ground.

Overcome with surprise, Roxas dropped to her knees, still clutching onto the little boy.

She blinked, looking around at her new surroundings. "Where are we?" she was speaking to herself more then she was to the child. They remained in the valley. But now they were perched on top of one of the many tall peaks.

Gohan whimpered in fear as she leaned over the edge, finding that it was tall enough that if either fell, they would suffer from an injury that would hinder their survival.

The little boy began to weep as he realized that they would not be getting down anytime soon, "WE'RE STUCK! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME!?"

_My ears hurt. _Roxas set Gohan on the floor and returned to the edge of the large peak. _Crap. We have to get down there somehow…but how? _She sighed and shook her head, deciding to rest beside a small rock.

_Just my luck. _"What're we gonna do!?" Gohan sobbed as he embraced her without giving a single warning, crying into her stomach.

Roxas sighed, "I'll think of a way to get down. Don't worry." She continued to consul him by stroking his dark tresses, hoping that it would bring him some comfort.

Hours passed and eventually his crying came to end. The sky darkened into a deep navy blue. Silver stars emerged from the darkness, glimmering brilliantly. A partial moon hovered above the pair, bringing forth enough light for the both of them to see. The temperature dropped as night fell. Gohan's body trembled. He merely whimpered and sniffled as he curled onto Roxas's lap. "I-I'm hungry…" he whined, "…I'm cold…and tired…and scared…"

"Don't worry Gohan," the light haired woman whispered, "We'll get down tomorrow morning and find some food then, okay?" She sighed and leaned against the boulder, holding the frightened child close to her.

The wind blew through her wavy tresses. She relished the serene calm of the moment. It was ruined when two clunks echoed in front of them. The two looked to see the cause.

A pair of bright crimson colored apples were strewn on the ground in front of them.

"Apples!" Gohan cried, fighting his way out of Roxas's arms. He scooped one piece of fruit up and bit into without hesitating.

The female bearing a tail leaned over and grabbed the other, taking a quick bite. It was delicious. Sweet and fresh with a tolerable sour aftertaste.

Gohan did not agree with her, "These apples…are sour…" he whimpered in disappointment.

_Is that a bad thing? They taste good to me. _"But they're better then nothing, right?" She took another bite of her fruit.

"I guess so…but what're apples doing here if there isn't a tree for them to grow on."

She continued to nibble on her crimson colored fruit, "Apples grow on trees?"

"Yup," He looked at the apple with disdain as he took another bite. "I miss my moms' cooking!" he cried suddenly, startling the adult female, "I wanna eat a _real _dinner!"

Roxas finished only half of her apple by the time Gohan reduced his to a core. The growl of his stomach caused guilt to way on her heart. _But I'm hungry too! _Another growl only made her heart heavier. Reluctantly, she held her apple out to the boy. "Take it."

He smiled, "Really? But aren't you hungry."

_YES! _She moaned inwardly. "Not really." The truth remained hidden within the dephs of the lie that revealed itself for all to see.

"Thank-you so much!" he took the fruit and began to chomp on it, quickly realizing that it tasted the same as the one he had just finished off without mercy. He took his woes out on the large apple, finishing it like he had the last.

He tossed the core to the ground, massaging his stomach happily; "Well, that's a little better," Roxas remained silent as he curiously glanced over the edge of the peak before pulling away, "Nope…still _way _too scary."

The boy returned to the woman's lap and curled into a ball, his tail wrapping around his waist. She smiled softly and leaned against the rock.

"Goodnight…Miss Roxas…"

She hesitated before replying, guessing what the term meant, "Goodnight, Gohan." The woman closed her eyes and allowed exhaustion to take her mind away from reality…

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A familiar green man hovered in the night sky. His sharp, cold eyes were glued to a one particular peak that protruded from the ground in the humungous lush valley. His ivory cloak billowed in the wind. His face was contorted into an expression filled to the brim with irritation. His intimidation factor rose as his arms crossed over his broad chest. Goku's son was standing beside a sitting Roxas, sniveling over the sour apple. The woman seemed to enjoy her dinner.

_Ugh, stupid kid. Stop whining! _He watched as Roxas offered her final half of the apple. _And stop babying him dammit! _The boy gladly snatched it away from her hand and devoured it within seconds like a starving glutton.

"Spoiled kid," he managed to keep the volume of his voice low as he growled. Avoiding their peripheral vision was easy enough. "You should be glad you two got that."

As the child finished his meager meal, he leaned over the edge of the peak. Piccolo rolled his eyes when he announced that it was too frightening to climb down.

So, he opted to curl up with Roxas and turn in for the night.

_You two better have enjoyed those apples. This is the only time I intend to help either of you. _He swore silently. _I have high hopes for Zelena, but if Gohan can't carry his own weight, then it means that I was wrong about him, and that he's just a normal little brat._

Piccolo turned his back on the pair and sped away into the night sky…

**And so ends Roxas and Gohan's first day. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	12. Chapter 12

**And here is the next chapter. Now for some jumping around and for Roxas experience even more awe-inspiring (and frightening) surprises. Also, I changed Roxas's appearance. I went back and changed this in the chapter she was introduced (not the first time she appeared but the time after Raditz was defeated). Now she has medium length, dark rose-red hair. Her skin is still light and she still has glacier eyes (I love that color). **

**Sorry that this chapter is so short. Please enjoy…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 11: Wild **

"_For death is no more _

_Than a turning _

_Of us over from time to eternity_."

-William Penn

_The darkness swallowed all who dared to enter. A plane of existence incapable of supporting life. The beauty created by silver diamonds would intrigue the pedestrians who choose to view it. Within the dephs of space hovered a spherical translucent orb. Within the sphere that seemed to resemble a small plant was a series of glass corridors connecting even smaller silver pearls. Windows allowed the humans being living within the small buildings to view the wonders that surrounded the space station._

_High-tech gadgetry allowed the scientists lurking inside of the large station to live comfortably as they continued with their daily activities. _

_Most of the humans wore formal clothes with a crisp white jacket. To differentiate between doctors and scientists, the medical practitioners a crimson cross on the right side of the front of their overcoat. _

_The station had once been at the top of Earth's technology. But now it was up in flames. Screams of agony echoed from within the space station. Blood was smeared along the corridors as more and more corpses littered the floors._

_Footsteps echoed throughout the maze of corridors. A second later, a woman who appeared to be around the age of thirty-nine rounded the corner. She bore lavender tresses that had been cut quite short. Frightened dark brown irises glanced back and forth frantically as she made her way to the next corridor. A black skirt hung around her legs, down to her thighs. Darkened high-heeled shoes clicked as she fled from an unseen force. A light blouse covered her torso, with an added crisp white coat that billowed behind her as she ran. When noting the red cross on the right side of her chest, they would come to realize that she was doctor. _

_Behind her, a young girl no older then nine was gripping her fingers. Unlike her mother, she had short, dark rose-red hair that was cut so that it passed her ears by mere inches. Tearful glacier blue irises scanned their surroundings, wide-eyed and shocked by the meaningless violence surrounding her. Her skin was light in tone. She wore a baggy white t-shirt with baggy navy blue pants to match. Her feet wore nothing but ivory socks. Guessing from her disheveled appearance, she had narrowly avoided death at least once had been asleep before all of this had begun. Blood was smeared across the young girl's face; it was obvious that the blood was not her own._

_The mother was stricken with grief after bearing witness to the demise of all of those closest to her. All that was left to the woman was her youngest child, who she could lose in a matter of moments. _

_Sprinting through the translucent corridors and ivory districts, the woman soon founder herself standing in the hanger. _

"_Come on!" she urged the frightened child, dragging her across the wide room. _

_The cold walls and floors had been the color of grey; they were made of a sturdy metal. Inside of the hanger, the woman found several doors with darkened locks built into the walls. Dark grey meant that the pods were no longer there. She frantically searched until she found one that bore a bright crimson light. Opening the panel, she quickly typed the code and pressed enter. The door slid open. _

_The room beyond was very small. It was big enough for one person. High-tech circuitry shimmered azure blue. In the center of the small space was a cushioned ivory bed with a pillow built into the wall._

_The young mother pulled her daughter in front of her, holding her by her upper arms, "Honey," she whispered softly, "I need you to listen to me," the girl forced her mind to return to the present, "I'm going to send you away. You're going to be by yourself for a little while, but don't worry, I'll be right behind you."_

_A small voice that almost seemed to sing escaped her lips, "B-but Mommy! Please don't leave me! I'm scared!" _

"_No!" the mother snapped, giving her daughter a good shake, "You have to be strong for me. Alright? It might be a while but we'll see each other again. Now, just get in the escape pod, okay?"_

_Sobs escaped the small girl as her mother placed a soft kiss on her forehead before leading into the pod. The child leaned against the cushions, fresh tears running down her cheeks as he mother clicked the code into the small panel. Entering the command, the girl released an ear-piercing scream as the door slammed shut. The mother pressed her ear against the door and listened. Judging by the voice echoing from within, the computer was announcing the destination and that it was about to take flight. Her heart was nearly wrenched from her chest as she listened to her daughter's pleas and pounding on her door. Two doors separated the pod from the hanger now. Seconds passed, and finally the pounding and squeals ceased. The pod produced a special gas that would knock the individual out until it landed. _

_Guessing from the sounds coming from within, the pod finally evacuated from the ship. A sigh of relief escaped the mother's throat. She turned away from the door to go in search of her own escape route. _

_The woman stopped dead in her tracks as she came face-to-face with the one thing she had been running from._

_A chuckle escaped from the young humanoid male that stood before her. "You thought that you could flee from us did you? Well think again." The boy was no older than fourteen, and yet he had already caused so much havoc. _

"_No…" the woman breathed, shaking her head lightly…_

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Cries of terror ripped through the air. Shock filled her body, and out of instinct, Roxas sat up and began looking back and forth frantically. Her vision was blurred by sleep. _What's going on? _Using her knuckles, she quickly rubbed the haze from her eyes. After blinking a few times, her vision cleared. She took the chance to check her surroundings.

A wide valley surrounded the young woman. Plateaus protruded from the grassy field. She herself was sitting on one. The sky was a deep blue, with white clouds levitating in midair. Standing near the edge of the said peak was a little boy. That boy had medium length black hair and pale skin. Dark, fearful yet innocent coal-black eyes gazed downwards. He wore nothing but a white tank-top and baggy dark green pants with black shoes as footwear. His dark brown tail hovered behind the rest of his body.

Moments passed as she realized what was going on.

It was morning, and Gohan must have forgotten their predicament. He was gazing downwards in fear, almost as if he had just remembered where Piccolo had left them the day before.

Sighing, Roxas hauled herself to her feet and moved to stand by the boy's side.

"Hey Gohan." The red haired woman said with a small wave.

The little boy gripped her kimono, tears streaking his cheeks, "W-what're we gonna do!? We'll never get down!"

"Um…" she glanced over the side, a worried expression planted firmly on her face. "…er…no idea."

This worried Gohan even more.

A low growl was a sign that the two desperately needed to leave the tall peak and find some nourishment. "Let me have a look." Roxas turned, and very carefully, lay on her stomach, allowing her legs to hang over the side. Pausing to find a ledge for her feet, she began to climb down.

_This isn't too hard. _Unfortunately the cliff decided to test her patience. Rocks snapped under her weight, causing her tumble downwards. A yelp escaped the woman as she lashed out, catching a sturdier ledge. Now fearing for her life, Roxas scrambled up the side of the peak and pulled herself up, moving to sit beside Gohan.

"What happened?" the little boy asked in a quiet voice.

She sighed and reluctantly told him the truth, "Uh…Gohan…we might be stuck up for a while."

"What!?" the boy's voice cracked. Suddenly, he began to sob uncontrollably.

The woman sighed and shook her head. _The boy has never been alone for very long, has he? _But she was not entirely sure whether she had been alone even once in her life. Maturity played an important role to their reactions; after all, he was but a small child and she was a young adult. It was her job to both teach and protect Gohan.

Deciding not to give up, Roxas got to her feet and made her way to edge of the peak. She sat down, allowing her legs dangle off of the side. Her glacier blue irises focused on the ground below. _There has to be a safer way down. _

For hours her eyes traced the sides of the cliff. With a burning determination she searched for a route that would not falter when they attempted to climb down. Playing out the different scenarios in her mind helped pass the time as well. She was not entirely sure how to get Gohan down. From the looks of it, she would need both arms to safely make it to the valley. That would mean Gohan would have to climb down himself; something that she knew he would be too scared to do. The likelihood of being able to catch him should he jump was quite slim.

Before long, twilight had come. Roxas returned to reality as another rumbling sound echoed from below. Focusing her gaze, she found a herd of dark brown dinosaurs with horns and warts decorating their bodies and foreheads. There were over fifty of them.

Gohan crawled to the edge and glanced over it, a look of childish curiosity on his face. Smiling, he waved down to them, "Hey! HELLO!" he called down to the animals. They ignored him and continued on, "Help! Up here!" his face fell as they vanished into the sunset, "Uh, there they go."

"Sorry Gohan, but I don't think they understand you." Roxas returned to her pondering. The growl of her stomach was making the task quite tiresome. _Need. Food. Now. _Shaking off her hunger, the woman continued to diligently plan a safe way of escape that Gohan would agree to. She could hear Gohan sobbing beside her. That was making everything even more tiresome.

Finally, after hours passed, Roxas gave up. She sighed and rose to her feet, stretching her limbs as she did so. The sun had set, and now it was dark once more.

"Did you think of something?" the little boy asked; he was leaning against their rock.

She shook her head, "Sorry but no," his face fell again, "but don't worry, we'll find a way down. Let's get a good night's rest for now."

Roxas sat in front of the rock. Gohan moved to curl up beside her, his small body shaking with fright. She ran her fingers through his ebony tresses, "Its okay, we'll be just fine." _I hope we find a way down soon. _

The two fell asleep as minutes passed. Or so Roxas had thought. She lost consciousness, yet Gohan was finding it difficult to fall into his dream world.

He sighed in irritation and flipped onto his side, away from the woman.

The child looked around at the small ledge. There was nothing for either of them to do. His wandering gaze ceased as he caught sight of an adorable little brown squirrel. It was dragging on of the apple cores away.

Gohan smiled at the little critter and began to crawl towards it. It hissed at him in fear and scurried away; it managed to hide inside of a small hole. Refusing to be ignored, Gohan stuck his hand inside of the hole.

"Its okay, I'm not going to hurt you." He promised, searching for the adorable furry animal.

He pulled his hand out and grabbed an apple core that was sitting at his side, and then tried again. "Here, you can have it." He reeled back as pain swam through his hand. Hanging from his palm was the squirrel, which had bitten into the hand.

It released him and scampered off, "Ow! That's not nice." He curiously followed the tiny animal, wanting know where it was going.

"Hey, where you going?" The small squirrel did not have trouble as it scuttled down the peak and made it to the very bottom unharmed.

"He makes it look easy," Gohan noted, gazing at the rocks with contempt. He jerked away, shaking his head, "It's still too scary!"

He sighed and returned to Roxas's side, deciding to get some more sleep.

A couple of hours went by. Darkness seemed to brighten; it was easier to see then it was last night. Nature called Gohan back to the waking world. He sighed and walked to the edge of the peak to relieve himself. "I hate this place…" he whispered to himself.

He sniffled as he retied his sash, "And I don't even know how I got up here." His eyes widened when he noticed his shadow.

"A shadow?" he glanced back and forth, "but the sun's not up. Its night."

He turned and looked towards the sky. There was a bright full, ivory moon hanging in midair. The black sky became a dark navy blue. Stars glittered, bringing a wondrous beauty to the otherwise frightening night.

"Wow, that's the biggest moon ever!" the little boy marveled at its majesty. "Its really bright. I've never seen a full moon bef..."

His voice trailed off. A tingling sensation tickled his small body. His eyes grew wide as he continued to gaze at the moon. The boy's irises turned a bright pink. His heartbeat seemed to echo across the entire field.

Roxas stirred behind little Gohan, the strange thumping sound catching her attention. She sat up and looked to the small boy with a weary gaze, "Gohan? Is that you?" she yawned, "What're you doing?" The pace of his heart quickened; and Roxas could hear it. She rose to her feet, her tail swishing back and forth. "Gohan?"

A low growl sounded from the boy. She watched as his muscles grew, ripping at his clothes. A low, inhuman roar escaped the boy's mouth as he threw his head back. The canines became sharpened fangs, and claws sharpened his nails.

"HOLY CRAP!!!" Roxas shouted as she jumped back, surprised by the sudden change in the boy.

Gohan slowly began to grow in height and width. Dark brown fur grew from his body. The purple irises and the whites of the eyes darkened until they were a vibrant scarlet. Soon, Roxas found a gigantic ape towering over her.

"What…the…crap…?" she whispered, horrified by the sight. The ground below her shattered, causing the woman to fall to her death. The ape soon joined.

Roxas screamed, fearing that she would be smeared on the ground within seconds. That changed when she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and pull her against a strong chest. Looking up, she found that Piccolo had pulled her out of harm's way.

"P-Piccolo? I thought you abandoned us?" she gasped, surprised to see the green man was there. Her head snapped towards the ape's direction, "And does this happen all the time?"

The ape punched the plateau that had been stranded on, cracking and then completely shattering it with one blow. It was extremely powerful.

"His transformation is insane," Piccolo was gazing at the beast with fear. _So I take it he doesn't know. Fine, I'll as Mr. Goku when he comes back. _A destructive white beam escaped the ape's jaw, leaving a deep crater in the ground and destroying several plateaus. Piccolo guarded both himself and Roxas the ape repeated the attack, "I don't understand! Why is this happening!?"

"Like I know!" the woman shouted back.

He glared at her, "You should! You're a Saiyan too!"

She rolled her eyes, "Uh, hello? Does amnesia mean anything to you?"

"Just shut-up and help me stop this monster," the man with pointed ears turned his attention the ground, "If we don't do something now, then there won't be an Earth left to defend."

_Or destroy. _Piccolo pulled the two of them out of harm's way as the ape fired another blast at the, "I've got to find a way to change him back!" He turned towards the moon, a look of realization on his face.

"What is it?" the woman asked, her arms wrapped around his torso for support.

"The moon…" he whispered, "…you need the moon!" Roxas turned her head, her eyes about to connect with the lunar circle. "No don't you fool!" he gripped her jaw and pressed her face against his chest, eyes narrowed angrily, "If you look at the moon, you'll transform too!"

_Oh…and I bet it looks so pretty too. _Roxas listened as Piccolo charged a golden beam and then fired it at the ivory circle. Minutes passed until a bright explosion blinded the both of them. The ape gave a loud roar. Within seconds, the moon was gone.

Roxas gaped at what he done, "YOU DESTROYED THE MOON!?" she screamed, causing Piccolo to go temporarily deaf in his right ear.

"Stop screaming!" he shouted back to her, "If I hadn't destroyed the moon then Gohan would have killed us all!"

The both returned their gaze to the grassy field below. The ape slowly shrunk until it returned to Gohan's adorable form. The boy, who was now nude, passed out and fell and to the ground.

Piccolo dropped to the ground. He released Roxas and began making his way towards the boy.

The man's body was dripping with sweat. "So that's the secret to the Saiyan's power…" he whispered, an aggravated expression twisting his face, "Its that tail."

"Somehow it gives them the ability to transform during the full moon," he looked to the sky, "Then its for the best that I destroyed it," he surveyed the destruction around the trio, "if Gohan did all of this damage, I'd hate to think of what the other two Saiyans would have done," he looked down at Gohan again, "Without the moon they won't be able to transform. In fact, now we have an advantage."

He reached down and gripped Gohan's tail, "And since the tail is a weak point, that means its only a liability."

Roxas watched as he ripped Gohan's tail from his rear, "There." He said with a satisfied smirk. He then looked to the female Saiyan.

Her eyes narrowed, "What?"

"Get rid of you tail."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Why should I?"

"Because now its just a useless weak point! It'll only be in the way!"

She crossed her arms over chest defiantly, "I am _not _getting rid of my tail!"

"I…I…" he sighed and turned away, an annoyed look on his face, "…fine, but find a way so that it won't be able to hinder you in battle," he looked to Gohan. He took a moment to stare at the boy before coming a decision, "Some new clothes will do the both of you some good."

He aimed one pointed nail at the child. Ivory shot forth. Roxas watched with amazement as a bright orange Gi that resembled Goku's to a tee covered the child's body. A short sword in a bright red sheath appeared beside him as well.

"Now for you," Piccolo aimed his finger at her. Roxas gasped as a light engulfed his body, and slowly, her ripped clothing changed.

A dark blue, short-sleeved undershirt covered her torso. The short-sleeved over shirt was a bright, fiery-orange-red. Dark blue bands wrapped around her wrists. A matching sash was tied around her waist. Baggy, bright fire-orange-red pants covered her legs; there was a hole in the back for her dark brown tail to fit through. Dark blue short-boots lined with crimson covered her feet. A short sword with a dark blue sheath fell to the ground beside her.

"Whoa!" she examined her new Gi, amazed by what she saw, "So cool."

He chuckled, "The clothes look like Goku's. But the symbols show that your from my clan," she looked at the back of her shirt and found a black kanji painted into a white circle, "I gave you two more then I intended, and I don't have time to baby-sit you anymore. I have my own training to do. But if you two can survive six months on your own then you'll see me again. And then I'll teach you both how to fight. I'll teach you both everything…you'll learn to be just like _me_…"

Without so much as a goodbye, Piccolo kicked into the air and flew away from the Saiyans.

Roxas cocked her head to the side, a baffled expression on her face, "Baby-sit…?"

**End of this chapter. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank-you for all of your wonderful reviews. I'll start the time skipping sometime soon, but until then, please enjoy this chapter…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 12: Pets**

"_God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame_."

-Elizabeth Barret Browning

Dusk fell, causing the once blue sky to melt into a dark navy blue laced with a soft orange. The vast jungle continued to buzz with life in spite of the late hour. Water poured from higher ground and into a small pond that broke off as a stream; large fish lived within the liquid generated by the waterfall. Cries of the birds echoed from the distance.

The jungle shrub rustled. Suddenly, a wild boar fled from the greenery. It squealed with fright as it ran from an unseen force.

It never bothered to glance back at its attacker; it was too scared to care.

The wild animal galloped through the trees and plants, desperate to escape its inhuman stalker.

The leaves in the tree rustled violently as a shadow emerged from within. A long, gleaming silver blade reflected the sunset.

A scream of pain sounded from the boar as the silver blade pierced its flesh. Roxas waited as the boar grew silent. She breathed a sigh as she pulled the sword out of its corpse; blood dripped from the blade.

"Man, you were pretty hard to catch." She grabbed a large flat leaf from a small plant and cleaned the crimson fluid from her sword and then returned it to its sheath. Reaching down, she lifted the deceased boar into her arms and began walking through the forest.

It has been nearly a month since Piccolo abandoned both Gohan and Roxas in the wilderness. They had a rough start, what with Gohan being afraid of nearly everything and then the pair being teleported onto a gigantic plateau in the open valley. And to make matters worse, when they were both starving, Gohan transformed into a giant ape. Roxas was lucky that Piccolo had been there to destroy the sources of the child's transformation. She was relieved when the green man gave the duo new clothes and weapons. Neither one has seen the man since.

Gohan was just as scared as before when he woke; that and he was very confused as to what happened to the peak. The older Saiyan decided to keep the night's events to herself.

The child was lucky that Piccolo destroyed the moon; now Roxas could no longer transform even though she had a tail.

Afterwards, Gohan and Roxas went in search of food. Another day passed and they had yet to come upon anything edible. During their travels, Gohan stumbled upon a deep cavern where he met a strange robotic creature with the words 'R.R.' and a crimson pattern painted onto its bronze surface. Roxas was busy trying to find a way to get the small child out, and everything seemed to deteriorate when the cavern began to collapse. But the boy managed escape after the robot gave up its life to protect him from the collapsing debris. The whole experience seemed to change Gohan.

In the aftermath of the event, Roxas noticed that Gohan ceased his whining and seemed to act far more mature.

Days passed as the two finally came upon a deep jungle. There, they foraged for fruit. Gohan made his first kill as he hunted and captured a small rabbit. Roxas was reluctant to do so, but in the end she hunted and slew animals for their meat as well. Her stomach demanded meat so she was forced to obey its call.

At the moment, the pair was busy collecting dinner. Roxas was out hunting when she found a wild boar. Now she was carrying its body back to the cave in which the Saiyans lived.

The sky darkened as irate clouds made their debut. Water droplets descended to the earth, causing the ground to be wet with mud. The howls of nocturnal carnivores echoed off of the jungle trees. Roxas already defended her life and meal from these beasts once; she knew that she would have to do it again someday.

It was not long before she reached the cave. Light bounced off of the rock walls, indicting that someone was home.

Walking inside, she found Gohan sitting near the campfire. The inside of the cave was round and relatively small, but it was cozy enough.

"Hey," she called as she set the dead boar beside the flames. A fish that was almost bigger then the five-year-old was nearby. "Nice catch." She looked to Gohan.

The child was sitting on the ground. On one round, flat rock there was a large green leaf. Using a small stick, Gohan pressed the dull green juices from the plant.

She blinked, "What did the leaf do?" Her voice was light and joking.

"Nothing," he laughed, continuing his work, "I'm making medicine," He gestured to his arm. There was a scrap; little blood trickled from the wound. "I got that after I fell outta a tree."

She sat beside him, cross legged, "Picking berries I assume," she looked at his work curiously, "So that's medicine, hm?" her eyebrows narrowed slightly, "Looks a little gross."

"Yeah, but it helps."

She cocked her head to the side, "Who taught you how to make it?"

"My dad taught me," he replied and then chuckled, "I used to cry all the time when he would use it on scraps. Never thought that I'd be doing this."

He set the stick aside then dabbed his finger in the dull green juice. Nervously, he held his green finger to the scrap and carefully administered the jell. A grimace appeared on his adorable features while he uttered a whimper.

"Does it sting?" Roxas asked, looking a little worried for the boy.

He nodded his head, "A little," he reached for the leaf and placed it over the wound. It stuck to his arm like a leach. Gohan rose to his feet and crossed the small room. He lifted the heavy fish up and drug it over to the fire, "Time for dinner." Using his sword, he began cutting the scales off of the blue and grey creature.

"I'll work on the boar." Roxas said as she pulled the deceased animal to the fire. Grabbing her own blade, she began cutting the fur from its body.

It took them a while, but they quickly learned to remove the scales from fish and how to skin mammals. The task was gruesome but it needed to be done.

It was not long before the meat of the fish and boar were placed onto stick and left to roast near the fire. Roxas left the cave to wash the boar's fur. When she returned, the duo began eating their meat and fruit dinner.

After Roxas downed her last berry, she crawled to the wall of the cave and laid down, "I'm turning in. Night Gohan." She gave him a lazy wave. Her eyelids closed over her glacier blue irises, and slowly, she dozed off.

"Goodnight." He finished his own meal and laid beside her. Closing his eyes, Gohan fell asleep as well.

He did not cling to Roxas as much as he did when they were first left to fend for themselves. After watching his robotic friend die, Gohan made a pledge to protect Roxas danger. He was not about to lose her as well…

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_In the deep reaches of space, a station protected by a translucent sphere had been built. Human scientists and doctors manned the station. The letters 'RR' had been pointed onto certain objects within the building, such as doors and the like. In the station, there were about three lobbies. Dorms had been set up for the inhabitants in several different buildings. Laboratories and multiple medical wings had been built. There were at least two cafeterias. Even a gym had a been placed inside of the station for those who cared to stay fit. A hanger was built into one of the buildings near the bottom. _

_Moving through one of the translucent corridors that connected each building to the other was a young woman. She was no older then thirty-nine. Her dark rose-red tresses were cut so that the hair would not pass her ears. Her skin was light in tone. Dark irises gazed at the beauty around her. A black skirt came to her knees. High-heeled shoes acted as her footwear. She wore a white blouse with a matching coat. On the right side of her chest, a crimson cross allowed others to see that she was a doctor. Glass aided her impaired vision._

_Beside her stood a nine-year-old little girl. Her dark rose-red hair was short as well, but it passed her ears, unlike her mother's. The flesh on her body was light. Awestruck glacier irises were glued to the shimmering stars. Her bangs covered her right eye a little. She wore a white, short-sleeved dress shirt. A black tie striped with dark blue was tied around her neck. Dark blue skirt lined with black was added to the outfit. Black, knee-length socks covered her feet along with dark brown dress shoes. _

_The little marveled at the stars. "It's so beautiful Mommy." _

"_Yes it is." she held her daughter's hand as she led the little girl to the door of the next room. Despite the serene air, the woman wore a tense expression on her face. _

_The older female led her daughter into what appeared to be a humungous laboratory. Inside, there were computers of the highest caliber. Scientists scurried about, each ordered to a certain duty. _

"_Dr. Wilkins." The woman called as she approached a specific man._

_The man appeared to be in his mid forties. He bore short black hair streaked with dark grey. His skin was tanned. Kind, hazel eyes met uneasy brown orbs. He wore a crisp ivory lab coat with a white dress shirt and black pants. _

"_Ah, Mrs. Wayland, thank-you for coming," he smiled at the girl who followed closely behind, "and you've brought the little one as well," he held an open palm to the child, "Hello little miss, I'm doctor Martin Wilkins." _

_She backed away and yanked at her mother's sleeve, "Mommy…who's this man?"_

_The woman turned soft eyes on the child, "This is the man who is going to make you all better." _

_She smiled broadly, "So I won't be sick anymore?"_

"_That's right." _

_Dr. Wilkins held his palm out to the child. Hesitantly, she moved to stand by him, but she refused his hand. The doctor merely shook his head at the little girl's nervousness. "We shall give you the test results as soon as possible, Mrs. Wayland." _

_The mother nodded her head, "Thank-you," turning away, she prepared to leave the laboratory, but her daughter's small hands held her back. She stopped, and responded to the child without looking, "Yes, dear?"_

"_Mommy!" the little girl whined, "Don't leave me!"_

_A shuddering sigh escaped the woman, "I'm sorry sweetie, but I'm very busy," gently, she tried to tug her hand away, "I'll come back to visit you later." _

"_But why can't you stay? You did before when I was sick." The child was desperate to remain at her mother's side._

_The woman's movements become more forceful, "I really am sorry honey, but they need me in the clinic…"_

"_Please Mommy, I don't wanna be alone!" the girl grew more insistent; her grip on her mother's hand tightened. _

_The woman's body grew still, her shoulders shaking a little, "Please let go of Mommy's hand." Her voice trembled as she spoke._

"_But Mommy…" the girl whimpered._

_Pedestrians snapped their heads towards the duo as the mother snapped at her child, "Let go this instant!" Her voice was filled with pent up rage. It struck her child like a sharp slap to the face. _

_The little girl gasped in surprise and released her mother's hand. Without facing her daughter, the woman continued, "I will come to visit you when I am provided with enough time. Do you understand? Goodbye." Not another word was spoken as her heels clicked against the marble floor as she stomped to the double doors. _

_After recovering from the shock, the child grew persistent, "But Mommy!" Mrs. Wayland did not turn back nor would she utter another word. Two of the scientists accompanying Dr. Wilkins reached out gripped the nine-year-old's shoulders as she attempted to follow her mother, "MOMMY!!!" She screamed. The doctors restrained her and began to drag her away. The little girl thrashed in a desperate attempt for freedom, but it was all in vain. _

_Even though the doors closed behind Mrs. Wayland, she could still hear the cries of the youngest daughter. The girl's pleas became more frantic as one scientist pulled a syringe from his pocket and approached her. "MOMMY! HELP ME! MOMMY!!!" _

_A single tear streaked the woman's cheek as she left the screaming child to her fate…_

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A loud scream echoed through the cave. Roxas leapt to her feet, hands clamped over her ears as she fought passed the blur in her eyes. She desperately tried to see through the darkness. There was little light. An orange blur sprinted up to her and grabbed her hand, yanking her through the cave. The woman came stumbling into the light; it burned her unprepared eyes.

"Ah…eh…Gohan," she grumbled, massaging one peeper, "what's wrong this time?" a yawn escaped her throat as she blinked, allowing her eyes to adjust to the added light.

He gasped for air, a frantic expression on the little boy's face. Unlike her, he always removed his boots before he slept, so he was bare footed at the moment. "T-there's a scary monster in there!"

This caught her attention. "What kind of monster?" _It is _way _too early in the morning for this. _

"I don't know," he glanced at the cave in fear, "but it looked like Nessy! Come on, we gotta run!"

Roxas blinked in confusion as Gohan grabbed her hand and began dragging her away. _Who's Nessy? _He skidded to a stop, causing her to bump into him. Her eyebrows narrowed, "Hey Gohan, give a warning before you stop."

"Sorry," he looked to the cave with a determined gaze, "But I changed my mind," she watched as he took a defensive stance, "We _can't _run away! My dad would stay and fight this thing, and so should we! Beside, our swords in there."

"True." Carefully, the pair crept towards the entrance of the darkened cave. They were about tot enter, but something began to move towards the opening. The two leapt out of the way before it could smash them. A large, hairless dinosaur with a long neck and two small, crimson colored irises stepped outside. It was quite intimidating.

Roxas slowly backed away, eyes wide with fear, "Uh Gohan, how about we come back for those swords later?"

"G-good idea." he said with a nod.

The took a few steps back from the dinosaur as it stomped away. Just as it seemed to be leaving, the creature released a mighty roar before collapsing to the ground.

Roxas stared at the fallen beast, "What just happened?"

"I don't know," Gohan got to his feet and ran towards it, "But I think he's hurt." Th adult followed him to the dinosaur's side.

There, they found a sharp stick protruding from its dull grey and blue flesh. Blood dripped from the wound. "Ow." Roxas winced as she got a good look at it.

"Goodness," the little boy approached it carefully, "That has to come out," the dinosaur gave him a warning look as he reached for the short stick, "This is going to hurt, but you'll feel better when its all over."

The creature looked away. It was very docile in nature, obviously, and it did not seem to mind Roxas and Gohan's presence. Watching carefully, Gohan grabbed the stick and began to pull. He seemed to struggle with it as he yanked with all of his might. Deciding to pitch in, Roxas grabbed at the stick and began to tug at as well. Giving a final pull, the duo managed to remove the brown and red stick from the large beast. The two stumbled backwards as soon as the freed the stick from the dinosaur's flesh.

Gohan held the stick up, which was ten meters longer then it had been when it was lodged in its body, "Wow, this was in deeper then I thought."

"You're telling me." the redhead muttered, gazing at the stick. They returned to the monster's side. Blood poured from the open wound.

Roxas examined it carefully, "Got any ideas on how we're going to patch this up?"

"Yup." He scurried away from her and back into the cave. Roxas patiently waited for him to return. When he came back, he was holding a stick, an oval-shapped rock, and a large green leaf. He sat down and put the objects together, then began creating the medicine he used on himself the night before.

"Oh, good idea." _I didn't even think of that. _She reached over and began stroking the creature's head. It did not snap at her.

A few moment's passed as Gohan put the bandage together and then carefully plastered it over the wound. The creature groaned in displeasure as it stung. "I know it hurts, but you'll feel better in a few minutes," he turned to Roxas, "we should go get some food for him."

"Yeah." Without another word, the female Saiyan took off towards the woods.

She leapt through the trees, eyes carefully scanning the forest for. It was not long before she found a tree rich with blue berries. The woman carefully picked a large quantity of them before heading back to the cave. She was not entirely sure why she was so fit, but she was lucky to have such a body. Stopping in front of the monster, she set the pile down and backed away. The dinosaur sniffed the berries and carefully began devouring them. Gohan appeared with two armfuls of mushrooms.

"We should go get more food." Nodding her head in agreement, the two returned to the forest.

They ran through the trees, making their way along the jungle path. They stopped at a stream of clear water. Roxas and Gohan took a quick drink and then continued on in their search for food.

They pair climbed trees and began taking the pieces of fruit from the limbs, placing them in a bag.

"I wonder if we can keep him as a pet." Gohan mused as he placed oranges in the leather bag.

Roxas added some berries to the bag, "Maybe. It'd be interesting to have a dinosaur as a pet."

"Yeah! We could play fetch and everything!" Gohan waved his arms in excitement. He paused and glanced at them, as if noticing something, "Hey, my arms are getting pretty beefy."

"Your right." The boy was stronger then before. Roxas checked her own muscles. They were not the same as Gohan's. Everything they had been through was hardly a workout for her. _Wonder why I'm in such good shape. _

Once the bag was full, the duo left the tree and began heading back to the cave.

Gohan paused near a rock, eyeing it curiously, "I wonder if I can break this," he held a fist up, "my dad could."

"How about you give it a try?" Roxas suggested. Each were holding their own bag of fruit.

Using all of his strength, Gohan pressed his knuckles against the rock. Nothing happened. He shook his sore hand out, "Not even a crack." Groaning, he followed the smiling Roxas along the grassy trail.

Minutes passed as the two returned to their hideout. "We're back!" Gohan called with Roxas trailing behind him. "We brought some fruit I think you'll like."

A loud roar and a rumbling sound caught their attention. Roxas and Gohan skidded to a stop as their new friend came stomping by. Behind the creature was another dinosaur. It resembled the brown beast they first encountered a month ago. The carnivore tackled their friend to the ground and began stomping on it and cutting it with its claws. It bite into the creature's long neck and pulled it upwards. Blood trickled from the wounds.

"No!" Gohan shouted, distressed by its actions.

Roxas unsheathed her sword, an enraged expression on her face, "Damn you…" she hissed. Both she and Gohan ran at the starving beast, their swords raised.

It stuck its foot out. Roxas managed to dodge the blow, but it knocked Gohan back a few paces.

The dinosaur turned away from its prey and stomped after Gohan.

"Gohan!" the woman cried. She ran up its tail and came to a stop on its head. Lifting her sword high into the air, Roxas slashed at its nose. The dinosaur roared and through her off. She cried out as she flew towards the trees. As she fell, the Saiyan female hit her head against a branch and toppled to the ground. She was knocked unconscious.

"Roxas!" the little half-Saiyan boy called. He released a battle cry as he tore at the dinosaur, angered by its actions. The dinosaur whacked him away with its tail. Poor Gohan was met with the same fate; he smacked the back of his head against a branch and landed a few feet away from Roxas.

In the distance, the carnivore gave a mighty roar as it approached its fallen, large prey. Opening its mouth, it lowered its head and bit into the dying creature's throat once more…

**And here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry the ending was a depressing. Unfortunately, Gohan and Roxas can't save everything. And thank-you for reviewing. Hopefully this chapter will make up for the last one. This chapter won't focus on the little duo as much as they have been. Anyway, please enjoy…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 13: Untamed **

"_Bitterness is like cancer._

_It eats upon the host._

_But anger is like fire._

_It burns it all clean_."

-Maya Angelou

"Roxas!"

A soft groan escaped the female as she rolled over. A small hand gripped her shoulder and began to shake her.

"Roxas!"

With tired eyes, the woman groggily looked at the adorable face that gazed downward at her, "Wha…?" Forming coherent sentences was a challenge at the moment.

"Good morning!" Gohan chirped merrily, a broad smile plastered across his face. "Look, I've got breakfast."

Rubbing her eyes, Roxas sat up and turned her sleepy gaze on the nourishment that the little boy had provided for the two of them.

It was a bowl full of edible seeds and berries. She smiled softly and retrieved a handful, "Thanks, Gohan."

"Your welcome." He dropped three of pink berries in his mouth and began to chew on the delicious fruit.

Days passed after they abandoned their cave. It could have been months for all Roxas knew. There was no way to count the months. But after they awoke the day they chose to move on, the pair found that the skeleton that once belonged to their injured dinosaur friend. The Saiyans paid their respects to the deceased creature and then continued on; standing idle and constantly mourning the fallen being was not an option. This was another of life's lessons.

Gohan was growing stronger everyday, while Roxas remained fit and ready for battle. She took the time to improve her swordsmanship after her first defeat. The pair would spar every afternoon before they went to forage the night's meal. After traveling for some time, they took shelter in the valley where their adventure began.

Still, they did not see any signs of the green man. Roxas was sure that he had gone to train this time.

The two sat across from each other as they consumed the berries. Their quiet morning slowly evaporated as the ground began to shake.

Gohan casually looked upwards, beyond the woman who sat across from him, "Hey, Bubba is standing behind you."

"He is?" she glanced back at him and rolled her eyes.

After their first defeat, Roxas named the dinosaur that continued to stalk them 'Bubba'. They went through a list of names before finally deciding on the name it now currently held.

The dinosaur seemed to despise the two. Of course, who could blame it? The creature lunged at them. Calmly, the Saiyans leapt out of its path and began sprinting through the large valley.

The reason behind its desire for revenge lay with its tail. Each and every time the dinosaur assaulted them, Gohan or Roxas would carve a slice of its tail away. That piece would usually end up as dinner. They learned to maneuver the humungous carnivore during each attack; now it was merely a game to the duo. Now was no different then before.

Roxas and Gohan leapt from peak to peak, to and fro, with Bubba following closely behind.

"Over here!" the woman called, making a face at the overgrown lizard.

It growled at her angrily and lunged at the plateau wall. Roxas did a back flip out of its line of fire and ricocheted off of its nose, landing on another peak. Meanwhile, Gohan snuck up behind the reptile. He leapt from one of the plateaus and landed on its back. Running up its spine and neck, he slid down its snout and came to a rest at its nose. The dinosaur looked at him cross-eyed.

"Wow, you've really let yourself go," the child marveled as he gazed at its girth, "you need to lose some pounds."

Saliva dripped from its fangs as it bellowed. Gohan chuckled and leapt off of its nose, continuing the ever changing pattern that the pair created. Reaching a dead end of the plateaus, they both ricocheted off of the rock wall and into the air. They waited just for the right moment when the dinosaur was close enough that it slammed into the peak head first.

Roxas winced, but her grin never faded, "Oh, that one had to hurt."

"It's my turn to get him this time, right?" The older Saiyan nodded to him. With his question being answered, Gohan unsheathed his sword and brought it down on the dinosaur's tail as he landed in the ground. Blood pooled from the open wound as a slice fell, only to be caught by the boy.

"You know," Roxas said in a conversational manner as she examined the remains of the stub, "If you keep this up, you won't have a tail left Bubba."

Gohan was looking at the wound as well, "Yeah. I used to have a tail too," he gestured to the other Saiyan, "she still has hers though."

It was knocked unconscious. Feeling victorious once again, Gohan and Roxas left the sleeping creature to its own devices. They wandered through the wide open valley until they felt that they had gone far enough. Stopping, Gohan found a log. He extended his open palm. Roxas watched as his will called to the ki energy inside of his body. It began to twist and churn before escaping the flesh of his hand; the result was the burning of the log they had just found.

During their time alone, Gohan and Roxas taught themselves to use mediocre ki attacks; such as setting wood ablaze.

The little boy could still remember the day his father first taught of him of the energy known as ki.

Using his sword as stick, Gohan held the meat over the open flame. Roxas made herself comfortable on the grass and gazed upwards at the clear blue sky. _So other Saiyans are coming from the sky, hm? I wonder…what're they doing right now? _

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_The darkness swallowed all who dared to enter. A plane of existence incapable of supporting life. The beauty created by silver diamonds would intrigue the pedestrians who choose to view it. One planet came into view. It was quite large. The main body of the planet was a clean azure blue streaked with ivory and pale lavender. The gravitational pull of this planet was quite strange. A strange substance that mimics oxygen existed within the pull; this allowed the inhabitants to hover in space freely and enjoy the wonders of the galaxy. _

_The land, which was filled to the brim with vibrant green grass and forestry, was also covered in tall cities. A scene that would amaze outsiders. _

_A large city made up of tall, ivory skyscrapers lined with pink tinted windows and designs was recently added to the design. _

_Deep inside of the capital building, there was a small control room. High tech computers allowed two reptilian men dressed in ivory space suits to view several small monitors. Each of the screens allowed them to view a different corner of a decent sized, darkened room with dim light bulbs built into the ceiling. _

_A burly man dressed in black and gold Saiyan attire was leaning against the wall with his muscular arms crossed over his chest. A patch of messy dark brown hair covered his head; a skinny mustache was added to his appearance. His wore a confident expression. _

_Locked within the darkened room was a group of eight, short little green men. Hideous grins and wide orange eyes locked with their prey. Standing in the center of them was a lean five-year-old boy. The child bore spiky dark brown hair; his bangs fell over his dark irises. He wore a dark, navy blue jumpsuit that covered his torso and his legs; straps were hooked around his shoulders, and his arms were left bare. Ivory gloves protected his hands wrists. Last, he wore boots that matched his gloves to a tee. A dark brown tail swished back and forth. _

_The violent green men lunged at the child, who dodged their assault with ease. He moved faster then the untrained eye could follow. _

"_Whoa, did you see that?" one of the men in the control room gasped, awestruck by the child's performance.  
_

_His partner nodded, "Yes. I see it all the time."_

"_There's no way…!" Even adults struggled to defeat eight Saibamen at once. _

"_Heh, not for any kid you've ever known." the other male chuckled. Just as all of the Saibamen lunged at him from all directions, the child extended both arms. A wave of powerful ki engulfed the green men, propelling them into the walls and floor. With on finger, the child finished them with a few simple ki blasts.  
_

"_Unbelievable!" the reptilian man gasped, eyes wide with shock._

_His partner did not share his surprise, "I told you."_

"_My God, what's he going to be like when he's full grown?" _

_The muscular man in the corner chuckled as he pushed off of the wall, "Nobody knows that yet. But take my advice and stay on his good side." He moved towards the exit of the training room._

"_Shoot yeah." _

"Open up you fool!_"_

_Jumping at the order, the man quickly clicked the code into the large computer. "S-sorry sir!"_

_Outside of the control room, in the white hallway that was tinted pink, the boy emerged from the darkened room. His escort was holding his extra accessories._

"_You're the best prince!" he cooed._

_This seemed to annoy the boy, "Stop kissing up, Nappa." He took the ivory armor from his hands and slid it over his head, firmly placing it around his torso and shoulders. He took the bright orange cape and tied it to his shoulders before stepping onto sidewalk that moved on its own; it was controlled by a computer somewhere within the building. _

"_All of these training exercises bore me," the five-year-old huffed, "I want another combat assignment. No more drills. Hmph, Frieza," his spoke the name as if it were a curse, "the day will soon arrive when we won't have to take orders from him, you watch." _

"_Think so?" _

_He grinned at his escort, "I know so." _

"_I'd love that!" Nappa clapped his hands together, excited at the idea of being freed from their current leader. _

_The duo continued making their way to Frieza's quarters… _

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Two silver pods tore through the darkness of space. They passed a large, yellow-brown planet surrounded by golden rings. In truth, the rings were made up of asteroids and space trash that had been taken hostage by the planet's orbit.

Resting inside of one pod, there was the shorter of the two Saiyans. He was sitting in the seat of his transporter with his eyes closed. His arms were hooked around his chest as it rose up and down evenly. As he slept, a holographic control panel materialized between himself and the sealed door. A golden light flashed as a female voice echoed off of the walls of the small pod.

"_Prince Vegeta,_" the computer called, "_we are now within one parsec of the planet Arlia. Initiating vapor bank. It is time to wake-up now._"

The voice ended soon after giving the command. A light mist filled the small pod. The lights flashed on. Vegeta's eyes twitched in annoyance as he slowly regained consciousness.

Sighing, he reached for his scouter his and opened a line to communicate with his large fellow.

"Nappa," he called, waiting impatiently for the other male's reply. He said nothing. "Nappa, are you awake?"

A low groan sounded from the other end. "_Now I am. What's going on?_"

"Nothing really," Vegeta leaned against the back of his seat, "but I thought we would make a stop and stretch our legs. We need the exercise. Planet Arlia's not far from here. We might be able to sell for it for a decent price."

"_Sounds good to me,_" Nappa could care less. He would be satisfied as long as he could wreak havoc on the masses. An excited chuckle sounded from the other end of the line, "_These Arlians better know how to fight. I can't remember the last time we had _real _competition._"

His prince had to agree. For years they encountered nothing but weaklings. Vegeta was beginning to think that the Saiyans had been the last race truly worthy of the name 'warrior'. He watched as they approached an orange planet with swirling crimson clouds at a fast rate. Hungry flames licked the silver pods as they broke through the atmosphere and made a crash landing on the soil of the planet Arlia.

The doors to the pods clicked and hissed as they opened. Gripping the outer edges of the doorframe, Vegeta pulled himself from the pod.

His handsome face twisted with disgust as he scanned their surroundings. Old darkened ruins protruded from the dying soil that seemed to crunch beneath their boots. They sky was a mix of crimson and orange. Unfriendly black clouds churned violently. Some of the little fluffy clouds hovered near the ground. It was an atrocious sight. Nothing but an empty wasteland.

"Not much here, is there?" Nappa seemed to agree with his leader.

Vegeta finished his scanning of the surroundings, shaking his head in disappointment, "Obviously not," nevertheless, he did not give up. "Let's have a look around, shall we?"

They thoroughly examined the tall stone towers and clouds. The atmosphere was breathable. But the air smelled of some kind putrid substance that was impossible to name. Nappa merely tapped one of the short towers and it came crumbling down. It was as weak as a newborn.

He gazed at the ruble left from the small stone, "Are you sure we can get a high price for this place?"

"Doubt it," The short Saiyan muttered, crossing his arms over his strong chest. "Let's look around a little more. There might be something of value here."

Just as they were about to continue their search, Vegeta's scouter beeped to life. He followed the readings, his body slowly turning around. Within seconds, a pair of gigantic blue bug-like creatures with large red eyes and white pincers broke free of the dying soil. They loomed above the Saiyans. Riding on the heads of the caterpillars were beings resembling the cross between a human and an insect. They wore loincloths and bore long, sharpened swords.

"You are trespassing on Arlian territory!" one the bug-men croaked.

The other had a deeper voice, but it could hardly be associated with either a Saiyan or a human, "If you make one move we'll blast 'ya!"

"We should blow them up." Nappa raised his palm.

But his prince would not have it, "Easy."

"Surrender or face the consequences." The Arlian to the right ordered.

_They have _got _to be kidding me. They're power level is weaker then a newborn Saiyan. Pathetic. _Vegeta found the idea of testing their patience to be quite amusing. "No."

"Very well then," the mouth of the Arlian to the left began to glow crimson,  
prepare to die!"

Before the crimson blast could connect, both Vegeta and Nappa held up their hands. The attack was canceled out immediately; smoke enshrouded their bodies. As it cleared, the Arlians who dismounted their caterpillars realized their mistake.

"Uh, surrender this instant!" one of the Arlians ordered, unsheathing its sword.

Nappa stepped forward, a defiant expression on his face, "Make me!" _Nappa! _The older male stopped, looking towards his leader out of the corner of his eye. _Surrender to them. Let's have some fun while we're here. _It was a simple task using ki to connect with the energy of others to communicate with them telepathically. One of the many techniques a Saiyan learned to master.

Sighing irritation, Nappa gave into his prince's wishes. Both males held their hands out.

"T-they gave up?" The Arlians were surprised by their change of heart. Chuckling, the one to the left shackled their wrists, "We must've been too much for them."

The other Arlian nodded his head in agreement, "Yeah," he eyed both Saiyans. It was difficult to see read their expression. The Arlian's faces never moved. "But man, they're a complete eyesore."

"No arguments there," his Arlian ally grabbed the chain connecting Vegeta and Nappa and began leading them to their mounts, "but they'll prove to be interesting entertainment for his lordship."

Once all four of the sentient beings boarded the backs of the caterpillars, said insects began crawling through the horrid wasteland.

It was not long before the large insects came upon a large coliseum. The building, if it could qualify as such, was slowly crumbling into rubble. It was darkened and ancient, much like the architecture that seemed to be common on this planet. The four dismounted the strange insects, which quickly burrowed back into the dying ground. Vegeta and Nappa followed the duo as they led them into the open entrance of the coliseum like castle.

They passed what the prince assumed to be the throne room. It was a wide arena. There, saw rows of Arlian guards. Standing in the center were two armed Arlians; the bug-men fought as though their lives depended on it. Steps led towards a set of thrones saved for the rulers of this worthless planet. Sitting on the steps was a lavender colored Arlian dressed in what could be considered 'high class' dull red robes trimmed with gold. An Arlian kneeled before him, serving some kind of fruit on a metal platter.

Perched on the thrown to the right was a strange looking Arlian. She appeared to be covered in pink fur. Depressed, round glossy black eyes gazed at the chipped and cracked floor. Ivory cloth was wrapped around its body.

The Arlian guards led their new prisoners through the corridors of their home. They descended a set of stone steps. Damp, dark stone hallways soon followed. They passed another set of guards as they stepped through a pair of double doors. Cells containing Arlian prisoners vanished as the four drifted along the disgusting smelling corridors.

"Here you go," one Arlian unlocked the door of the cell and stepped aside. Both Saiyans entered willingly. Closing the door, he laughed, "You'll be relieved to know that your cell is rat-free. The other prisoners ate them all." And then left them to their own devices. They never bothered to remove the shackles.

"Oh my," a male voice gasped from across the cell, "Look at those hideous aliens!"

Vegeta wore a bored expression as he looked to the small group of Arlians huddled in the corner. Unlike the Saiyans, they were not handcuffed. _They keep mentioning our appearance. Such vain creatures. _Their insults did not phase the young prince in the least. He knew that he was a dashing young man; but he could care less even if he was not.

"Have any of you even thought that maybe they think that _we're _the ugly ones?" one male Arlian suggested.

_So one of these freaks has a brain after all? Simply amazing. _"Speak for yourself." Another shot back in a sarcastic tone.

"Does it matter what they look like?" a third bug-man asked, "They're stuck in here just like the rest of us. They're just more victims of that tyrant; locked away and left to rot," he turned his attention to the Saiyans, "I'm afraid that you visitors have come at a bad time. The new king of Arlia is ruthless. He uses prisoners for his own amusement. He even went so far as to steal my wife Lemlia on the day that we were to be married. You can only imagine the pain I feel."

He gazed at the golden gauntlet on his wrist longingly. Vegeta shrugged his woes off like one would a fly. He could care less about the creature's troubles. _So they actually have genders? Then that pink thing I saw must have been a female. _He sneered at the sight of her.

Only a few minutes there and the young Saiyan was feeling bored. He decided to spice things up around Arlia, "How does this sound?" he asked, smirking at the bug-men, "I'll help you take your throne back."

"Y-you will!?" the Arlian gasped, hope in his voice.

The Saiyan nodded his head and tore the shackles in half with ease, "Of course. Just stand back and watch the fireworks."

Nappa removed his own shackles and reached for the door. He tore it off of its hinges and tossed it aside, allowing his prince to exit the cell first. The duo began making their way down the corridor. They came upon two guards; both of which charged at them with swords ready after ordering for them to halt.

Vegeta did not make a move to defend himself. Instead, Nappa grabbed both of the Arlian's heads and hoisted them into the air. A sickening crunch could be heard as the prince of the Saiyans exited the dungeons.

They made their wall through the hallway of the coliseum-like castle. It was not long before they found themselves in the arena.

"…well then, bring them here." The lavender colored Arlian, who was sitting on the throne towards the right ordered his guard.

Wearing a delighted smirk, Vegeta allowed his deep voice to pass his lips, "There is no need."

"What? How did they get in here?" the false king of Arlia barked, "You know that not a single prisoner is allowed in my chambers without an armed escort!"

The guard stammered, not entirely sure of the reason for their presence himself, "I-I don't know, sire…they…"

"Your guards met with an unfortunate accident." the young Saiyan decided to relieve the Arlians of their confusion.

But his words only angered the insect, "How dare you!? Soon the both of _you_ shall meet with an _unfortunate accident_," he looked to the female, "You may not want to watch this, my dear."

"Very well." she turned away from the pair.

"I'll be sure that my guards make short work of these _repulsive _creatures." He crossed his pointed fingers and tapped his chin.

Vegeta decided to challenge him, "Really?" He feigned worry.

"Ah, let's see," he paused, concocting their demise in his simple brain, "We should test the big one with the shiny head against our champion in combat. I'll save the little one for last; he wont' put up much of a fight, I'm sure."

_Fool. _A burly Arlian appeared behind them, "You'll retire a wealthy man if you can defeat them both. Now, kill them!"

Vegeta silently corrected the mistakened Arlian as his slave brought the sword down on them. _Man? He hardly constitutes as a 'man'. More like a thing. _Moving with lightning fast speed, the prince extended two fingers to the brute. Ivory ki erupted from the tips and engulfed the man's head, burning it clear off of his shoulders. His body fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"Well what do 'ya know?" Nappa chuckled, "Guess that makes you the new champion Vegeta."

The short price enjoyed the sound of his name and the word 'champion' in the same sentence. But a newborn could waste these pathetic Arlians with ease; so he was not as proud of his accomplishment as another would have been.

"Not bad," the lavender Arlian mumbled. His ivory antenna twitched as he spoke, "But ten of our finest warriors have mastered energy just like yours."

Vegeta decided to urge him on, "They have? How interesting. We'd like to fight them," his smirk widened; his tone made it obvious that he was mocking them. "Ready?"

"You'll pay for your insolence!"

Nappa sighed and rolled his eyes, "Yeah whatever. Can we get on with this already?"

"Ah, how do you!?" The false king was outraged.

Nappa twitched his fingers, egging him on, "Come on your heinousness. Bring on that cricket brigade of yours! We're ready."

_Nappa's insults leave much to be desired. But they seem effective enough. _A horde of 'crickets' as his partner seemed to call appeared from the ceiling and pillars.

"Take a good look at my elite guards," the king cackled, "Now your bravery seems to have diminished quite a bit."

Scarlet ki blasts charged in their mouths before consuming the Saiyans. Creating a spherical barrier made up of energy, Vegeta captured the crimson ki. Using his will, the captured energy began to circle them, creating a protective bubble of electricity. The red lightning melted into the floor.

"Was that it?" the prince deadpanned, "Very refreshing."

The king finally met with his last nerve, "If you two think that I will allow you to just waltz out of here, then you are sadly mistaken," he rose to his feet, "Guards, kill them all!"

Holding out both hands, Vegeta emitted ivory electric waves. The energy devoured the Arlian guards and began to burn their armored flesh, tearing them apart one by one. Charging his energy, Nappa released a powerful shockwave that killed off the remainder of the king's guards. The attack not only finished the king's guards, but it acted a sort of bell. The ground shook as a dark purple platform steadily rose from the dephs of the planet.

Standing before the duo was a gigantic, dark brown bug-like creature that resembled an overgrown Arlian. It was making irritating grunting noises in the back of its throat.

"So, it's the old 'giant bug in the ground' trick?" Vegeta mused, finding their attempts to eliminate the two Saiyans laughable.

The king looked to his final line of defense, "Yetti destroy these creatures! They're bad!" he spoke as if reasoning with a small child. "Very, very bad!" He whimpered.

"We're bad?" Nappa glanced at the Saiyan out of the corner of his eye.

Vegeta shrugged and replied in a very casual tone, "Well, a little." Just as he finished his response, Yetti swung its jagged talons at them. Both men leapt out of harm's way and landed in the spectator stands. The bug-man took after Nappa, who evaded its claws like a trained acrobat.

"Over here." Vegeta shouted as he flew passed its line of vision. Yetti lunged at him. He moved just in time for it to slam into the wall head first; knocking it down like a pile of children's stacking blocks. Crimson rays stalked Vegeta as he flew back and forth, cackling like a little boy playing with his pet dog. Pillars fell as it destroyed it's the castle.

"Hey ugly!" Nappa caught its attention. It reached towards him. The Saiyan caught its hand it began pulling on one of the claws. Vegeta watched from afar as he tore it off with little to no effort; pale green blood spilled forth from the armored stub.

Angered by his pain, Yetti lunged for the muscular man. Nappa took to the air and landed on the ground in front of him. "I've got one more little surprise for you." Ivory ki generated in his palm as he threw it at the bug. The poor creature never stood a chance, as it was completely and utterly obliterated from existence.

"No! This is impossible!" the false king cried, cowering behind his throne.

Vegeta dropped to the ground, eyes narrowed at the Arlian, "Coward." He spat, his voice sharp and cold.

Raising two fingers in the air, a horde of stones and debris converged on the Arlian king. Slamming hard into his chest, the Arlian king dropped to the ground, motionless.

Once the fight was over, Vegeta clicked the button on his scouter, "Computer."

"_Yes Prince Vegeta?_" the female voice asked.

"Send for the pods at once."

"_Initiating retrieving sequence._"

"Do you two realize what you have done?" Vegeta glanced at the pale Arlian who met in the prison cells. "You have freed our planet from centuries of bondage! At last, Arlia is a place where new beginnings can be made. From now on, you two visitors will be known as heroes among our people. I can't tell you grateful I am."

As he finished his speech, the pods appeared overhead. Manipulating their ki, Nappa and Vegeta each levitated off of the ground. He mounted the open door of his space pod and slid inside, ordering for the door to close. Once it clicked shut, the pod ascended into the unappealing sky.

_Our next stop: Earth… _

**Yes I left out the part where Arlia is destroyed. Please review and I shall update soon… **


	15. Chapter 15

**And here is the next chapter. Thank-you for your reviews. Phew, I was afraid that the last chapter was horrible. But I'm glad you liked it. Anyway, this chapter might jump around little. I'll reach the end of the year mark someday. These filler chapters are working on Roxas's development with the other canon characters. Please enjoy…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 14: Home **

"_Marrying for love maybe risky,_

_But it is so honest that God can't help_

_But smile on it_."

-Josh Billings

Roxas breathed an irritated sigh. _I can't believe this. _The woman clad in fiery orange-red clothing stomped her feet as she made her way through the jungle shrub. The sun hung high above her hand; narrowed eyes scanned the trees carefully.

Coming to a stop, she threw her head back, allowing the words to flow, "GOHAN! WHERE THE HECK DID YOU GO!?"

As usual, there was not a single word uttered in reply. Rolling her eyes, the redhead continued onward.

Days seemed to pass as though they were minutes. Both Saiyans gave up predicting the future or keeping track of the past. Instead, they opted to tell the time during the present. That was all that mattered now. And at the current time, a certain female was feeling extremely frustrated with a certain child.

The day before, Roxas decided that it was time create a new technique using her ki. But to do that, one must build their spirit and mind as well as their body.

Deciding that she would need some privacy to accomplish the task, Roxas secluded herself deep inside of the jungle. The little Saiyan was aware of her actions; he agreed to her decision.

She was thankful that he was mature enough to abide by her wishes once in a while; but she was frustrated with his little disappearing act. He promised to remain in their new, humble little abode, which was a makeshift tree house, until her return. Until then, Roxas ventured into the trees until she came to a clear waterfall. There, she perched on a large rock, allowing the cold liquid to pelt her body. Her mind wandered into the dephs of the unknown, freeing her of the fear that threatened to haunt her heart.

Meditating was quite refreshing. Spending hours sitting beneath a waterfall allowed ideas to flood her brain. Gazing at the leaves as they waltzed in the wind was very helpful as well. Soon, inspiration hit like a sharp slap to the face.

Hours passed as she practiced manipulating her ki. She expected the task to be a difficult chore; but for her, it was as simple as snapping her fingers. Gohan found ki manipulation to be a simple task as well. But developing a new attack was quite troublesome; using ki to create a very complex attack was an even greater challenge. But it was not impossible to accomplish.

That very morning, after spending hours practicing her new technique, she decided to reunite with her partner. Unfortunately, when she returned, she found their hideout to be empty. At first, she thought that he might have gone out to wash up or grab a bite to eat. Remaining calm, Roxas decided to wait for his return. Hours passed. Gohan never returned. Feeling worried for the boy, she left their small home in search of the child. Lady luck was not on her side.

_There's no way Bubba got to him. _She thought as she left the jungle. Beyond the trees existed an expansive ocean that seemed to go on for an eternity. Grains of golden sand replaced hard earth and lush grass.

Roxas cupped her hands around her mouth, "GOHAN!!!" Not a single reply.

"Where did he go?" she began trudging through the thick grains of earth.

Her glacier colored irises scanned the sandy beach, searching for a sign of the small child. She came to a stop when she noticed a set of indents in the ground. "Hm?" she approached the small indents. Squinting, she soon discovered that it was set of footprints.

"Gohan…those look like Gohan's footprints." Taking an advantage of the clue that had been left for her, Roxas followed the tiny imprints.

Minutes passed before the footprints seemed to fade into nonexistence. They came to a stop near the waterline. But the sand was disturbed even then, and not by the water. Something large had been there.

"Hmm…" ki flooded into the soles of her feet. Unlike Piccolo, she still could not figure out how to use energy to fly. But she could use it to run on surfaces such as water. Taking a quick breath, Roxas began storming across the salty seawater.

Seagulls flew through the air as she sprinted across the sea, eyes scanning the waters for a sign of land. She had an inkling that Gohan decided to brave the waters; there was a slim chance of her hunch being correct. But even so, it would not hurt to check. Water was propelled into the air due to her abnormal speed. As she ran along the surface, dolphins carefully edged towards the surface, curious about the strange woman who dared to defy the laws of gravity.

She gave the large sea creatures a lazy wave, eyes continuing their search. Hours seemed to fly by as she finally caught sight of land.

_Is that a beach? _Her speed increased as she the ki fluctuated throughout her veins. _Gohan better be there. _

She gave the beach a quick look before speeding off, kicking up sand as she ran up a steep rocky cliff side. Using very little leg strength, she propelled her body into the air and landed on the hard ground gracefully.

"Now…where am I?" She glanced back and forth. The thin strip of land was a paved road running along a steep cliff. Below the road lay seawater and jagged rocks. Above the path created for vehicles, there was a steep grassy hill that led into the forest. The road itself was cracked and torn; it was old and uncared for. There was a large gouge missing, making it a hazard to drivers and animals alike.

"Wow, this must be one of those roads Gohan told me about," Roxas was not impressed with the side, "This road has definitely seen better days."

A loud roar echoed behind the female Saiyan. The redhead turned to find the source; moving along the curvy road, she caught sight of a fast moving pink blur. It disappeared and then reappeared around the corner. It was a small, pink metal contraption. The roof of the machine was missing; glass protected the beings inside from sustaining damage. It hovered above the broken road.

Eyes squinting, Roxas tried to determine the owner's of what she assumed to be a vehicle.

Sitting in the driver's seat was a young man. He was in his early to mid teens. Short, unkept black hair covered his head. His skin was tanned by the unforgiving sun. A white long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled to his upper arms covered his torso. Denim blue jeans covered his legs, and his footwear consisted of dark brown leather boots.

He continued on as if Roxas were not standing there. With ease, she leapt into the air just as the car was about to slam into her. Looking downwards, her eyes widened in surprise when she found the object of her anxiety. Panicking in the backseat was none other then the little half-Saiyan boy Gohan. He seemed to be just as surprised as his dark, coal-black irises connected with her glacier blue ones.

In a split second, they were gone. The car flew over the open gape and continued onward.

Roxas bristled at the older male's actions, "Oh no you don't." She took off after them, leaping over the humungous gap as if it were nothing and then speeding down the road.

"Gohan!" she called to the car. The little boy turned and waved at her. He looked back to the driver, his lips moving. It was difficult to hear what he was saying.

Picking up the pace, Roxas closed the distance between herself and the car. She turned her head and looked to the teenager.

"Hey you," she growled, "Stop the car! I…"

He did not take his eyes off of the road as he spoke, nor did he bother to slow down, "I know who you are. Gohan told me. Listen, just follow us. I can't stop the car. I'll explain everything when we reach the checkpoint."

She stared at him for a long moment before silently complying with his demands. Turning away, she carefully matched her pace with the car; this was to avoid getting ahead or falling too far behind. Both the Saiyan and the car continued onward, the environment slowly melting into an expansive heated desert. Beads of sweat dripped from her forehead as Roxas followed the boys. The sky remained a vibrant azure blue. Hours seemed to pass before the lush, cool forests devoured the road and the trio.

The car jerked and swerved in front of Roxas, causing her to come to a screeching halt on her heels. At the moment she was thankful that the dark blue boots protected her feet from the rough road. This road was an improvement compared to the first miserable excuse for a paved pathway.

The teenager parked the vehicle on the edge of the forest; he never bothered to open the door. He opted to jump out of the driver's seat instead. Opening the passenger door, he reached inside and yanked Gohan out.

"Hey Bigero!" Gohan whined as the older male looked down at him with a stern gaze, "Why? Why did you leave them? You were their hero!"

The elder responded with a solid punch to the cheek, knocking the five-year-old to the ground, "You don't understand; I didn't have a choice," the little half-Saiyan glared up at him, massaging his cheek, "Those kids need more care then I can give 'em. They need a _real _home." He climbed back into the vehicle.

"Hey," Roxas stepped forward, "Why'd you hit Gohan!?"

Sighing and shaking his head, he glared at the woman, "Don't worry, I'm sure Gohan will tell you everything," his expression lifted into a smile as he looked to the young boy, "Later." With that, he vanished.

Blinking, Roxas looked to her Saiyan brethren, "Did…did I miss something?"

"Yeah," the boy got to his feet, eyes glued to where the young teen once was, "a lot."

Placing her arms on her hips like an annoyed mother, Roxas narrowed her eyes at him, "Alright, tell me why you ran off like that."

"Well," he looked at the ground sheepishly, "it's kinda hard to explain. But…" growing braver, he met her gaze, "…I wanted to go home and see my mom."

The female Saiyan took a moment to register his words. Curious, she egged him on, "And never bothered to wait for me or tell me why…?"

"Well, I thought that you'd be gone a long time, so I decided to go ahead and come to get you later." His logic had merit. She never told him exactly when she would return.

The woman shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose with index finger and thumb, "Well…I decided to check on you early," she opened on eye to gaze at him, "you really scared me, you know."

"I'm sorry." the child cast his gaze downwards.

She waved his apology off, "It doesn't matter…" and then changed the subject, "…so tell me, how the heck did you get here and what was with that kid?"

The child launched into his explanation immediately; "I built a raft to get here, but then I crashed during the storm last night. And then these kids who lived by themselves in an old town saved me. But these guys wanting to take them away from their old home, which was destroyed by a powerful tsunami and killed their parents, tried to take them to new homes with new families. I helped them steal some food from a nearby town and I hung out here for a while. Then, I told them how I was planning to see my mom, and they made a plan to help me get home. We were going to do that by stealing the adult's cars and driving me home. But the adults brought reinforcements, and when I tried to help the other kids, Bigero, the leader, stole a car and took me away. And we ran into you." He finished, taking a deep breath.

Believing his wild story was difficult. But the teenager, Bigero, was all the evidence Roxas needed. _You've changed, kid. You're not that whiny little kid who couldn't do anything for themself anymore. _For a moment, pride flooded into her heart; maybe this is what a parent felt when their child made an accomplishment.

_Parents… _"So that's it? We're not going back for them?"

"No," he looked to the steep grassy hill, "Like me, they need parents to take of them. Kids shouldn't live alone forever, ya'know?"

"Not really." Roxas replied in a flat tone. Gohan gazed at her for a long moment, surprised by her words. He never understood the weight of her amnesia until that moment. Unlike him, he managed to record his past deep within his brain. He could recall fond memories of his family whenever he desired. But all Roxas could recall were the months she had spent alone with him, trying to survive the dangers of the wild.

_Well I'm gonna change. _Running up to her, Gohan took her hand and began pulling her up the hill, "C'mon, I want you to meet my mom!"

The pair began making their way across the expansive mountains terrain and through the forestry. The grim atmosphere cleared as they ran through the forest. Roxas noticed that they passed a familiar clearing; the ground was decorated with a deep crater, much like the one created by Raditz's space pod. _Probably a coincidence. _She thought as she brushed suspicion away. Continuing down the trail, it was not long before they came to the end.

A wide clearing accompanied by a vast farm awaited them. There, she could see a small two-story house and a little oriental-style shed.

"Home!" Gohan sang as he pulled Roxas towards the front door. The woman was excited to meet his mother. She assumed that the woman was a very kind person. But she was surprised as she nearly stumbled over the boy. He came to a stop without warning.

"Gohan?" She yelped as he jerked around and pulled back into the bamboo filled woods.

Running down the path, it was several minutes before Gohan came to a stop in a field of flowers. Sighing, he gazed at his feet, dropping his hands.

"Gohan? What's wrong?" Roxas leaned over his shoulder, "Don't you want to see you mother?"

"Gohan! Roxas!"

The deep voice shocked the Saiyans. They jerked around, finding a familiar green man levitating in midair. He was casting a stern gaze downwards at the duo.

"What is your mission!? Say it!"

As if they were trained soldiers, both of the abnormal beings responded in unison, "To prepare for the Saiyan attack!"

Satisfied with their reply, Piccolo smirked, "Then let's go back." Dropping down, he grabbed the pair by their waists and then shot into the air…

**And an end to this chapter. Please review and I shall update soon… **


	16. Chapter 16

**Here is the next chapter. Thank-you for reviewing everyone! Time for some more action. Sorry it took my so long, but I've been a tad busy lately. I hope you enjoy… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 15: Complications **

"_A true friend never gets in your_

_Way unless you're going down_."

-Arnold H. Glasow

Pain throbbed in Roxas's cheek as she recoiled, stumbling over herself. She would have hit the ground had she not caught her balance.

_He doesn't show any mercy. _The female Saiyan took a deep breath before evading a familiar green being. A second later, Gohan charged at the green man. The male jerked around and kneed him in the stomach; then he brought his fist down on the child's back, slamming him to the ground. Roxas ran forward and attempted to capture Piccolo in a similar hold that Goku made use of when battling Raditz; then, Gohan could attack freely without fear of Piccolo retaliating.

The attempt ended with Piccolo snatching the corner of Roxas's shirt and tossing her over his shoulder, slamming her body against a nearly boulder.

Weeks, possibly even a month or two passed after Piccolo brought the duo back to their training ground.

It turned out; six months had already gone by. Since they passed the first test, the green man decided to take Roxas and Gohan on as his pupils. He lived up to his earlier promise. Piccolo was a ruthless tutor. Every training session, he beat both Gohan and the female Saiyan senseless. The woman took his punishment with more ease than the little one, but it was still painful nonetheless.

It was impossible for either of them to land a hit on the man. They would spar from dawn until midnight, and even then, the Saiyans only received two hours of sleep before the green man would attack them without warning. It was rather annoying. But the valley gave them plenty of room, so that was a plus. At the moment, there was a radiant golden sunset in the distance. Roxas growing used to the long training sessions; but even she was beginning to feel weary, longing to gaze at the twilight before falling into a deep slumber.

Gohan lunged at him one more time; his attack ended with Piccolo drop kicking the top of his head, slamming him into the rough ground.

"Ow," he sat up, rubbing his head, "can't we take a break already?"

Roxas hoisted herself up, legs shaking as she glared at Piccolo, "Uh, yeah…I've gotta agree with the kid this time." She felt as though she were about to faint.

"Neither of need a break; now get…"

Gohan looked upwards with pleading eyes, "But I don't think I can move…" his expression changed, a wide smirk splitting his jaw open. Propelling himself high to the air, Gohan appeared to bring a powerful kick down on his master, "Fooled 'ya!"

"Can't you jump any higher than that?"

The little boy jumped as he turned to see Piccolo levitating several feet above him. The man intertwined his fingers, creating a ball with both hands. Using quite a bit of strength, he brought the fist down on the child's head. Gohan cried out in pain as he was sent rocketing towards the hard dirt.

With new vigor, Roxas used the muscles in her legs to join Piccolo in midair. "Take this!" she pulled her fist back, and then thrust it forward.

The green man moved to the side, mimicking her action and planting his fist firmly in her stomach. Spittle flew from her mouth as Roxas was knocked backwards; her back slammed hard into a small rocky peak. She groaned with pain as she slid downwards, landing on the ground with a thud.

"You two need more work! Now get up!" Piccolo shouted as he sped towards the female Saiyan.

Roxas managed to roll out of the way before he could land another hit. Using all of her strength, she summoned just enough ki to create a handful of fire. She tossed the heated flames at Piccolo, who slid out of the way to avoid the weak attack.

"Not good enough!" his foot met her jaw, sending her flying upwards. Next, his fist slammed into her stomach, and then his knee connected with her spine.

With a weak cry, Roxas dropped to the ground. She did not move afterwards, nor would she open her eyes. Piccolo finally beat her into unconsciousness.

"Tch, pathetic." He turned away from her, setting his sights on little Gohan.

Said child managed to get to his feet before his teacher could attack; lunging at the older male, the boy released a battle cry. He attempted to punch Piccolo in the jaw, only for the latter to kick him in the stomach. Gohan twirled around, bringing his foot towards the man. Piccolo dodged to the side and punched Gohan in the throat; the child made a sickening choking sound as he fell to his knees. The green man then planted his fist into the child's stomach, causing spit and blood to spill forth.

"You're not trying hard enough!" Piccolo barked as he kicked Gohan away.

"No, you're just too strong!"

Jerking around, Piccolo's eyes narrowed when he found Roxas was awake once more. One knee was pressed against the ground while the other foot helped prop her body up. Her left hand aided her in crouching. The right palm extended outward, gesturing to Piccolo.

_I'm going to make these two stronger then all of us. _Piccolo thought with determination.

"Give me your best shot!" He slowly began walking towards her; at the moment, merely strolling towards her would be a difficult challenge for the woman to overcome.

Anger swelled inside of Roxas as she gazed at the man. He was so infuriating! He never seemed to care for either of them; and he was completely ruthless.

Holding one hand out, Roxas called forth the remainder of her ki.

She could feel her fury building as her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. _Piccolo… _Suddenly, a strange tingling sensation overcame her body. Roxas sat there, starring off into space, wondering what it could possibly be. She could feel her ki stretching outward, as if trying to contact something.

Blinking a few times, she tried to refocus. But the strange action of her ki was causing her to feel nervous. She was beginning to lose control of it.

_What's…what's happening to me? _Pain stabbed her forehead. She clamped her palms on her cranium, eyes shutting tightly. _Ow…damn…this hurts. _The throbbing pain intensified until finally she could bare it no more. Giving a cry, the woman's mind faded away into the darkness. Roxas fell to the ground; this time, she did not regain consciousness.

Piccolo gazed at the unconscious woman, a curious expression on his face. _What happened to her? _He knelt beside her and pressed to fingers against her neck; she was still alive. _Hmm…maybe she's just sleep deprived. _He sighed, shaking his head as he rose to his feet. _It's impossible for either of them to go on. _

He could hear Gohan as the five-year-old attempted to ambush him. "That's enough, Gohan," he snapped, "we're done for the day. I'll be back in the morning."

Leaping into the air, the green man vanished in a flash.

"Uh…huh?" the child left his hiding place, which was a large boulder. He looked at Roxas and then to where Piccolo had gone. "We're done already? Wow, he's giving us a whole night off. That's rare."

Worried for his female companion, Gohan quickly ran to her side. "Hey Roxas," he called, shaking her shoulder, "Roxas. Wake-up." She would not return to the world of the living. Sighing, Gohan threw one arm around his shoulder and began dragging her away from the spot. _He's working her way too hard. _

The child was correct. Piccolo was easier on him then he was Roxas. It might have something to do with age; but he was still far too hard on the boy.

But Gohan decided not to complain, and to simply enjoy the night off. Lifting her onto his back, the small child clad in orange carried Roxas into the branches of a nearby tree. There, he propped Roxas up on the trunk before creating a makeshift bed for the two. Placing her on the leaves and vines, Gohan curled up beside her. He found himself gazing absentmindedly at her tail, a look of wonder on his face.

_Wonder why she got to keep her tail. _Closing his eyes, the exhausted boy soon found himself drifting off into a deep sleep…

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_Bliss devoured his mind as Gohan shoveled another apple inside of his mouth, swallowing whole under one nanosecond. He was perched on a mountain of food, stuffing his face with more then a child his age could normally consume. Fruits, meat, vegetables, and sweets…more food then one could count. And it was all his. Laughter escaped his throat as he devoured the meat of a chicken leg. Snatching up a cake, he tore it in half and prepared to stuff the half in his mouth. He paused, before shrugging and stuffed both slices into his mouth._

"_Wow, this is amazing!" _

_Reaching downwards, Gohan retrieved another piece of fruit. He held it high in the air, wide, innocent eyes gazing hungrily. The edible delight was none other then a fresh pineapple. He opened his mouth and slowly brought it towards his lips. _

_Harsh male laughter echoed around the child._

_Gohan stopped, and then gazed at the piece of fruit in confusion. It stared at it for a while before the pineapple slowly began to mutate. Within seconds, a blue sky was hanging above his small body. He was sitting in a wide open field. Behind him, a crater had been carved into the land. A familiar black haired man loomed above him, cackling as though his mind had taken a long stroll around the park but never returned home. _

_The man in revealing black and gold armor stood over Gohan's injured father. His foot pressed into the man's chest, earning screams of anguish from the younger male. _

_White hot fury began to take over Gohan's mind; his small body shook with suppressed with rage. _

_Raising his hand into the air, the child's uncle screamed "…now die!" The very thought of losing his father was enough to send Gohan off of the deep end. _

_Fearing for his father's life, Gohan lunged at the dark haired man, roaring like a savage beast. His body throbbed with agony as he attacked the man; but he ignored the pain, choosing to kill the source of his hatred instead. _

_Within seconds, he would impale the dark haired man with the sword that his teacher was kind enough to supply him with… _

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"LEAVE MY DADDY ALONE!!!"

Gohan sat upright, beads of sweat dripping from the pores of his pale flesh. His fiery orange clothing stuck to his body. Roxas was sleeping on the wide tree branch beside him; her breathing was calm and even. The sky was lit with a silver aura. Jewels of the same color glimmered brilliantly. Hanging high in the sky was an ivory moon; a strange occurrence, seeing as it had been half a year ago when Piccolo rid the Earth of its lunar pearl.

Standing on his two feet, Gohan leapt out of the tree, landing shakily on the ground below. His rear ached with discomfort.

The child made his way to a small bush, quickly taking care of his business.

Kneeling beside a small pond that was near their hideout, Gohan splashed a little water onto his sweat covered face.

The memory of his father's suffering would forever be burned into his mind. It was painful to think of everything the man had gone through to save his son's life; only to lose his in the end.

_Daddy…what're you doing right now? _Tilting his head upward, Gohan's innocent coal-black irises connected with the ivory moon.

_Wonder what that's doing up there. It's been a while since I've seen the moon. _Familiar muscles twitched around his rear end. _Huh? What the…? _Before he could turn around, a strange tingling sensation seized Gohan's body. His eyes widened as the moon convinced him to continue gazing upon the majesty and wonder that it created within all beings. Enraged growls slowly began to build deep within the back of the little boy's throat as the hatred of his uncle returned. His dark irises shimmered a light pink as he bared his sharpening teeth.

Having sense the odd sensation, Piccolo dropped from the heavens, landing behind the child gracefully.

"So there you are," he muttered, a perplexed expression on his face. He glanced at Roxas, and then to the younger Saiyan, "What're you doing?"

Jerking around, facing the green man, Gohan threw his head back, releasing a barbaric roar. His cry ripped through the air, waking all who dared to slumber. Roxas jolted awake, sitting upright and glancing back and forth in surprise.

The young woman yawned, rubbing at her blurry eyes with one hand, "Are we being attacked again?" She asked casually. She seemed to wake with more haste as the intensity of Gohan's hatred struck her mind.

"Gohan?" she rose to her feet, carefully making her way towards the boy, "What's wrong?"

Piccolo bared her path with hand, "Stay back. Something isn't right with the kid."

Crying out, Piccolo had just enough time to through up both hands as Gohan lunged at him. Pulling back, the green male parried punch after punch, hit after hit. He wore a baffled expression as he sought to shield himself from his pupil's assault.

"Gohan!" the female Saiyan spat, "What do you think your doing?" _Did I wake-up in the middle of a training session? _

Leaping at him with a mighty battle cry, Gohan extended his hands as though he were an animal with sharp talons. Piccolo responded to this with a quick punch to the stomach. His irises lit azure blue as he shot two small beams at the little boy. Dodging the attack, Gohan sped away, running on all fours like a dog.

Roxas watched as the tiny child fled, "What…the heck?" she blinked in bewilderment, then looked to her teacher, "Did I miss something?"

"I'm just as lost as you," levitating off of the ground, he sped off after the younger male, "but we can't lose track of him!"

Nodding her head, "Right." The woman sprinted after the pair. Manipulating her ki, her body's pace increased so that she far exceeded a normal human being, running faster then one needed to win a marathon under ten minutes.

Meeting the child as he sprinted towards the moon, she glared at him, "Gohan! What's wrong with you? Wake-up!" _Did he finally lose it or something? _

"Gohan! Calm down!" Piccolo shouted overhead. A pair of azure beams descended upon the pair. Gohan evaded each blast like a trained expert; the second beam struck Roxas's right thigh, causing her to limp with pain.

Piccolo rolled his eyes as she complained; her melted into a steady pace once more after overcoming the stinging sensation created by the man's misfire. The trio eventually found themselves nearing a rocky canyon, bridging the tall mountains of the valley. Dropping to the ground, Piccolo bared Gohan's path. The boy attempted to turn back, by Roxas skidded to a stop behind him, arms out stretched on either side of her body. The deep gouge in the land on either side would make it impossible for Gohan to run around the adults; and they were both quite fast, so that created even more problems for the short child. He was cornered.

The full grown male decided to take a soft approach, and to coax the child to obey his teacher, "Come on Gohan; let's go back."

"We're not going to hurt you." Her tail swished back and forth as she carefully followed Gohan's movements.

He was turning back and forth rapidly, a wild look in his eyes.

"Just come back…" he began, only to end his sentence abruptly as the boy in orange flung his body into the air. Pale azure blue beams shot from Piccolo's eyes, merely slicing a piece of the fabric off of the child; said boy ricocheted off of a rock and continued his assault on his green colored teacher.

Eyes narrowing, Roxas sprinted at the child, "Gohan!" Her plan was catch him like Goku had done to his brother; she would restrain him until he returned to his senses.

But her plan shattered like glass as she caught sight of a familiar appendage. A long, brown furry tail was protruding from Gohan's rear end.

"Hey!" she called, trying to get Piccolo's attention, "I just saw something you're not going to like."

The little boy turned, bringing his fist towards his elder female counterpart. Roxas caught his knuckles, shoving him away from her with one hand.

Piccolo's eyes widened as he found the limb that had come to fear the most. Gohan's tail managed to grow back after a seven to eight month absence. He coughed when Gohan lunged at him, pounding into his chest and stomach without mercy. Roxas ran at the boy, only for him to fall back and kick them both in the face.

Recoiling after the swift kick to her face, Roxas massaged her throbbing nose, "Note to self: tails grow back."_ So it wouldn't matter if I had cut off my tail months ago. It would've come back sooner or later. So…how come Goku didn't have a tail? And why was that guy freaking out if his tail could just grow back? _

"Hopefully he transform again." She muttered, her own tail swishing to and fro absentmindedly.

Piccolo's eyes remained glued to the enraged child, "He can't without the moon," _So then why is he freaking out, oh smart one? _Realization seemed to dawn at the same time. "The moon!" The pair shouted in unison, turning towards the source of Gohan's unexplained fury.

"How did that get back up there?" Piccolo growled, looking just as confused as his female student.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, "So moons can't reappear like tails?"

"Usually, no," he glanced at the boy and then at the lunar orb, "but this is different."

"Any ideas as to how it got back up there?"

He seemed to think on the subject before responding, "Someone wished it back with the dragon balls?"

"I thought those other people were trying to bring some guy named Goku back with them," she looked at them as though she were deducting a large sum of IQ points from him, "why on Earth would they wish the damn moon back?"

"I don't know! Humans are idiots."

Their argument was cut short when a familiar roar echoed behind the pair. They turned just in time to find a foot connecting with their faces, causing both Roxas and Piccolo to stumble backwards.

"Damn kid…" Piccolo hissed as he sat upright. Gohan lunged at him. Holding up both hands, the male began to charge weak bolt of electricity. The lightning devoured Gohan's body, holding him in midair.

Roxas got to her feet, an annoyed expression on her face, "How long can you…" her eyes grew wide with horror as her gaze followed Gohan's pink irises, "…uh, Piccolo…"

"Don't look at the moon!" the man snapped, focused on the boy.

She tore her eyes away from the lunar orb, "Okay, but could you at least take a look and see that _Gohan _is looking at the moon!"

"What!?" jerking around, he found that her claims were true. Gohan was starring at the moon, absorbing the rays that it gave off.

Just as before, an inhuman roar pounded against the pair's eardrums. Slowly, dark brown fur burst from every pore of Gohan's body. His tiny frame grew until his height was that of three elephants placed together. Pink irises flooded into a deep blood red. Canines sharpened into fangs stronger then steel. Fingernails morphed into jagged talons. The Great Ape emerged once more. Despite his transformation, Piccolo tried to restrain the ape, but to no avail. Gohan broke free from the electric cage; the ground shook as he connected with the flat surface.

"Dammit, it broke free…" Piccolo growled, eyes wide with horror.

The ape turned a crimson glare on Roxas, who was shaking from head to toe. She knew what this destructive creature was capable of, and was certain that it would kill her in a heartbeat. As if to confirm her fears, Gohan opened his long jaw, calling forth a bolt of light from the dephs of his throat.

Instead of choosing to avoid the attack, Roxas was rooted to the spot. Piccolo noticed this. Normally, the green man would ignore those who were not intelligent enough to evade a possibly fatal attack; but his emotions got the better of him, and he soon found himself shoving the young female out of harm's way.

"Run you idiot!" he spat before being engulfed by Gohan's ki beam. The attack practically bought the man a one-way ticket to the center of the Earth; he burst through the ground, his cry slowly fading into the distance.

A second passed as the female Saiyan registered what just transpired. Hitting her head against a hard rock aided her mind in returning to reality. If she did not do something soon, she was going to die.

Molting lava bubbled from within the crater left by Piccolo's body. It began to pool around the rock she was standing on. Before long, Roxas was trapped on a small island that would be sinking into the fiery dephs sooner or later.

_Dammit it all! _Not one to give in, the ki inside of body began to fluctuate. _This is the best time to learn how to fly, isn't it? _

Muscles tensing, she leapt upwards. Unfortunately, she could only reach a height that could only be achieved through a trampoline. _Why couldn't I ask Piccolo to teach me about flying instead of martial arts? _The green man made flying seem like a simple task; but it was actually very difficult to do. One had to exert a certain amount of ki that could effortlessly lift their body into the air; but they must also be able to control said amount of energy. Piccolo said that this was difficult for humans.

_But I'm not a human. I'm an alien…so does that make me special? _Ignoring the rising lava, Roxas ordered herself to enter a serene state of mind. Closing her eyes, she focused entirely on her energy levels, completely forgetting about Gohan, Piccolo, and the ocean of lava that would devour her soon.

Energy began to seep from her every pore, flooding the air around her lean frame. Giving a silent command, the ki began to pull upward. Slowly but surely, the ground disappeared from beneath her feet.

Opening her right eye, Roxas glanced downward. Just as she suspected. She was levitating in midair.

_Wow, that was easier then I thought. _In the background, the Great Ape was tearing the once beautiful valley apart. Deciding to take control of her newfound ability, Roxas ordered her ki to turn her body so that she could see where the monkey-boy was. Her energy obeyed as if it were a trained dog listening to the commands of their beloved master.

_So far so good. _Glancing back and forth, she frantically searched for any signs of Piccolo. He was nowhere to be seen. Feeling worried, she looked to Gohan once more. There she found the green man soaring around the ape in an attempt to gain control; he was being tossed around like a rag doll.

_At least he's alive…for now. _Testing her ability to fly, Roxas decided to move in on the hostile being. Flying was a very difficult thing to do.

The woman was left feeling quite embarrassed with herself. Her body was slowly hovering towards Gohan. Manipulating the energy to propel herself forward was proving to be quite troublesome.

Increasing the amount of ki she was using, Roxas shot forward faster then a bullet. The level dropped and she slowed to a stop. Once again, she was moving with the grace of the town drunk.

"What the…come on!" Power level fluctuating, Roxas shot forward, nearly slamming into Gohan's hairy ape form this time.

"Got 'cha!"

She was relieved when a strong arm lashed out, catching her and jerking her away from the smelly monkey.

Ascending into the sky, Piccolo held her against his torso, a stern expression on his face. "So you've decided to try your hand at flying now?"

"Yes," she admitted, looking a little sheepish, "and it's not working out too well."

He chuckled, "It never does at first. Here." Poking her forehead with one claw, a sharp wave of pain electrocuted her body.

"OW…what the Hell!?" she spat, one of her arms convulsing violently with pain.

Evading Gohan's claws, Piccolo shot her an irritated look, "Stop complaining. I fixed your ki levels. I noticed that they were off, so they should be about the same now," releasing her, Roxas used her ki to avoid plummeting into the lava streaked ground. Hesitantly moving to stand upright, she found that her body felt lighter, "See?"

"Your right…I do feel better," she smiled at the man, "thanks."

His dark irises connected with Gohan, a strange look on his face, "Whatever," he seemed to focus on the current situation after their friendly exchange. Turning away from the child, he created a beam of golden electricity, "I don't know where it came from, bit all I need to do is destroy it again."

Firing the beam, the adults waited for it to hit, arms prepared to guard their eyes from the blindly bright light that would soon follow. If it were possible, their jaws would have hit the ground. Piccolo's attack went through it as if the moon were a hologram.

Piccolo gaped at the sight, "That…it…" he was at a loss for words.

Her fists clenching into fists, Roxas jerked around to face the small child, "That's it! That tail is coming right off!" When gazing at the hologram, she made sure to look back and forth, as to not become transfixed by its lunar form.

Just as she was about to rush the ape, Piccolo caught her arm, "Don't! You won't be strong enough to handle him," he lightly pushed her back, "I'll cut his tail off. Just focus on surviving this nightmare, alright?"

"But Piccolo…" she persisted.

Anger rising, Piccolo summoned forth a ki beam and sent the woman flying several yards away, "Just listen to me for once and run!" With the order being given, the green man flew at the Gohan's ape form.

Calling forth his power, Piccolo exchanged powerful bursts of energy with the ape. He sashayed back and forth, avoiding the potentially life-threatening blasts as they tore through the once radiant valley. His goal was not to kill Gohan, but to remove his tail; the man had to constantly remind himself of this.

Shooting ki beam after beam, Piccolo found himself growing weary as he fought to remove the tail and guard his own life at the same time. Gohan withstood his attacks, becoming irritated with his teacher's attacks rather then pained by them.

"You really are a Saiyan, aren't ya?" Piccolo muttered, firing another ki beam at the child. This time, however, he was caught off guard.

A hand gripped the older male's body, enclosing around his lean form. Cries of pain echoed throughout the area as Piccolo attempt to break free from the young male's palm. His efforts were futile, as he soon found himself losing consciousness due to oxygen deprivation.

Meanwhile, Roxas was soaring away from the violent struggle between master and student. Her eyes were set with determination as she scanned the ground. She found several places that would be a perfect hiding spot, yet none of them seemed to fit. Not to mention, the object of her desire was nowhere to be found.

Eventually she came to a stop in midair. _There's only way I'll be able to find it…but then I'll have to risk transforming. _Glancing back, butterflies seemed to rule her stomach as she weighed her options. The death of Piccolo or Gohan was something she could not risk. And risking her own transformation would was a brainless stunt. Sighing, Roxas gripped her tail, but not hard enough to paralyze herself.

Creating an ivory blade made up of ki, she raised her hand upwards, and hesitantly, brought it downwards.

Just as she was about to remove her own tail, Roxas noticed something odd in the distance. She paused, eyes focusing on the strange disturbance. In a certain area, the air shuttered like a struggling light. Releasing her tail, she made her way towards the source. Eyes following the shuttering line, she soon located what she had been looking for.

Hidden deep within the rubble, she saw a familiar silver pod. It was covered in dirt and debris, and seemed to be very old. The door was left wide open, and from the looks of it, it was functioning properly. In fact, guessing from the shuttering air, it was creating the hologram of the moon.

_So that's the shuttering light, not the air. _Extending one hand, Roxas called forth a large beam of hot-pink colored ki.

"Pest." She muttered before firing the attack. Covering her face, Roxas managed to protect her eyesight from the blindingly bright explosion that soon followed.

Looking upward, she was relieved to see that the holographic moon was gone. As was the Saiyan pod. Feeling proud of herself, Roxas took off towards the place where she left her allies.

In a way, she was still disobeying Piccolo's orders. He told her to flee, and she did just that. But she was not trying to find a place to hide until the battle blew over. She knew just as well as he did that the end was not going to be a happy one. So, instead of searching for a place to cower until death came knocking on her door, Roxas went in search of the source of the hologram. Locating the annoying contraption was a challenge on its own. She decided to follow the light that often connected a hologram to the source, something she noticed the few times she glanced at the fake moon. But she would need to remove her tail to look at it safely. Her appendage was saved from this fate when she noticed the connection just as she was about to cut it off.

Honestly, she expected the pod to be harder to destroy. Of course, Gohan made quick work of Raditz's pod, so they may not be as durable as she thought they would be.

Now that the deed was done, she went back to check on the others.

When she returned, she found a sleeping, normal, and very nude Gohan lying on the ground. Looming over him was an irate Piccolo. In his hand was the child's newly removed tail.

So he lived after all.

Overwhelmed with relief, Roxas sped at the man, "Piccolo!" she cried. The man had just enough time to register her presence before be knocked to the ground, trapped in a pair of frail looking yet powerful arms. "I'm so happy your alright!"

"Ow, ow, ow, ow…!" he groaned, grabbing at her shoulders and trying to push her off, "…my goddamn ribs are bruised…dammit let go!"

Realizing her mistake, Roxas released him and jumped to her feet, blushing a little, "Uh…sorry, didn't know."

"Whatever…" he brushed her apology off, cradling his sore torso like a hunched-back old man, "…how did you get rid of the hologram?"

Gesturing towards the direction she had just come from, she began her quick explanation, "I found a Saiyan pod a few miles away from here. The hologram vanished after I destroyed it."

"Was it yours?"

She blinked, looking a little confused, "Mine?"

"Yes, yours. What, you can't remember how you came to Earth?"

"No." she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Piccolo stared at her for a moment, and then shook her reply off, "Okay…" he breathed an exhausted sigh, "…you Saiyans are more trouble then your worth."

"But you still love us." She giggled, patting her teacher on the back.

Piccolo flinched away from her, wincing with pain, "My entire body is very…_very _sore…and I'd prefer it if you'd refrain from touching."

"Oh," she jerked her hand away, "sorry."

He dropped Gohan's tail onto the ground, "That should take care of that for a while," he glanced at the female, "I would suggest removing yours, but if it grows back, then there's really no point then is there?" he turned his attention back to the kid, "Look at 'em, sleeping like a baby."

"That's because he _is _a baby, to a degree." Roxas stated, looking at Gohan with a motherly gaze. She had grown so attached to the boy over the year; in a way, she saw him as a little brother, or even a son.

Piccolo aimed a pointed fingernail at the boy, creating another multicolored beam of light. Clothing reformed on the child's body. The new garb was interesting to say the least. Now, Gohan wore an outfit similar to Piccolo's. But a dark red sash was tied around his waist. An ivory scarf snug around his neck, rather then a long flowing cape.

Aiming his finger at Roxas, she jumped as her own clothing transformed into a different outfit. A sleeveless, long-sleeved dark purple shirt covered her torso. A sash the color of crimson was tied around her waist, with watching bands wrapping around her wrists. A long, flowing ivory scarf coiled around her throat and shoulders. Baggy, matching purple pants covered her legs. Last, she wore cloth shoes similar to Piccolo and Gohan. Her tail twitched.

"There, now you two are officially my students." Piccolo dropped his arm to his side, his gaze returning to the sleeping boy.

Smiling broadly, Roxas embraced her teacher once more, "Thank-you, teacher!"

"Ow! Let do, dammit!" he shoved her away, eye twitching in irritation. A light purple tint decorated his green cheeks.

She assumed this to be out of anger, "Sorry, teacher." The woman moved to sit beside the sleeping child, an exhausted look on her face…

**I hope this was a good ending to the fillers. That's right, the fillers are out of the way for the time being. Sorry its taking so long for the VegetaxOC romance to start up, but I didn't want this focus on the main love interests of this story entirely. I am trying to incorporate the plot surrounding my OC, and have her build relationships with the other canon characters as well. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	17. Chapter 17

**Okay, and now it is time to move on with the story. Hopefully I can write some really good fighting scenes. Please tell me how I do. Also, I changed it so that her hair is red from the start. Once again, still developing some of my OCs back-story. Zelena was still the name Raditz used at first. Like I said, her past will be explained as the story goes on. **

**Warning: Language goes up a notch. Anyway, please tell me your thoughts on this chapter… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 16: Arrival **

"_Myths are public dreams, dreams_

_Are private myths_."

-Joseph Campbell

Silver jewels scattered across an ocean of seemingly never ending darkness. Multicolored dust clouds began to churn to life. Planets could be seen in the distance. A picture painted by the gods themselves. Spherical silver pods tore through the beauty; azure light whipped around the ships, which were determined to reach the course set for them.

A familiar young Saiyan slept within the pod to the right. His head was limp, eyelids covering his dark irises as he lived in his own world.

Seconds passed before a blue holographic monitor and keyboard materialized in front of the Saiyan prince. A golden light flashed on and off as a female voice echoed from the hidden speakers.

"_Prince Vegeta, we are now within one parsec of the planet Earth. Initiating vapor bank. It is time to wake-up now._"

Mist swirled around the short male's lean body. The lights flashed to life, making it easier for the man to see his surroundings once he returned to the world of the living. Eyelids fluttered open; groggily, Vegeta's head lifted, eyes attempting to focus on his surroundings. The blur slowly began to clear. Blinking a few times, Vegeta glanced outside of the pink tinted window. He was still within the dephs of space. Turning his attention to the computer, a smile broke across his face.

Tapping his scouter, he opened the communications line, "Nappa, wake-up. We're almost there," There was an irritating grunting noise from the other end. Normally he would have lost his patience, but the prospect of immortality being within his grasp made him feel rather giddy. He was prepared to deal with anything at the moment, "Nappa!"

"_Uh…huh…wha…?_" the intelligent older male groaned.

The prince's eyes connected with the screen as the basic layout played out, giving him an idea of what the planet was made up of. "We are about to arrive on Earth. Get ready."

This news excited his partner, "_Finally! I was starting lose my patience. Been cramped in this damn pod all year._"

Although Nappa was not the most intelligent Saiyan in the universe, his partner did have a point. Vegeta's limbs were feeling a little stiff after spending such a long amount of time sleeping inside of a small pod. But his partner's size added to his discomfort, so he was given more room to complain.

Leaning against the seat, Vegeta watched as his surroundings began to change. A crimson planet flew by, soon being followed by a dark green planet bearing swirling purple clouds.

The Saiyan's eyes returned to his monitor, eyes searching for a specific component.

_Hmm…its not there…it might be hidden behind the planet. _The moon was not in view. He opened several different windows, each allowing him a different look at the planet. It was nowhere in sight. _Where is it? We planned this perfectly, so where is it? _Now he was feeling irritated.

Soon the blue planet came into view. Vegeta waited patiently as his pod entered the planet's orbit. Within seconds, fire licked at the metal ship as it began plowing into the atmosphere.

The insufferable darkness melted into a vibrant azure blue as Vegeta found himself gazing at a large city. Buildings protruded from the Earth. Tubes connecting building to building allowed for faster travel. Earthlings wandered the streets, completely oblivious to the Saiyan's arrival. Most would feel uncomfortable with a crash landing; but the Saiyans had grown accustomed to this, seeing as this is how their ships docked. Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest, patiently waiting for his ship to collide with the concrete ground.

Seconds passed as the pods rained down from the sky. Below the arriving Saiyans, anthropomorphic animals and humans paused in their daily activities, choosing instead to gaze at the pair of dots hovering in midair. Slowly, the spherical forms grew, until the humans below realized that they were some kind of object.

"What is that?" A man dressed in a black business suit asked, glancing from the random pedestrians surrounding him.

No one had an answer for him. The crowds of Earthlings continued to gawk at the oncoming spaceships.

Instead of choosing to evade the oncoming metal ships, the Earthlings decided to watch as they collided with the concrete sidewalks and paved roads. Whoever had been standing in their direct path had been crushed and torn apart along with the hard ground; debris was propelled into the air due to the impact. Those who managed to survive dove away from the fallen ships, hearts skipping a beat as shock flooded their minds. Cars were crushed and reduced to scrap. Smoke lifted from the deep craters left by the invader's ships.

Fearful Earthlings gazed at the chaos, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. A low hissing sound could be heard from within the craters, causing a few of the spectators to jump.

They watched as a pair of beings resembling humans levitated from within the holes in the ground, landing on the paved road. A woman in the cried released an ear piercing scream as a man in the crowed shouted "ALIENS!!!"

"W-what are they!?" a man in the crowd cried.

Another responded without hesitation, "They're aliens! Aliens!"

"Someone call the cops!" Another male suggested, believing that his solution would solve everything.

The young man standing beside him seemed to disagree. He shot him a strange look, "What the Hell do you think the cops are gonna do about fucking aliens!?"

"I don't know about you all, but I'm getting outta here!" A young woman with a southern accent announced before turning away and running down the street.

The taller of the male Saiyans chuckled, "So, what do you wanna do with all these gawking idiots?"

"Oh I don't know," he smirked at his partner, "I'll let you decide this time."

Nappa brightened at the sound of this, "Wow Vegeta, you really are too kind." Opening his palm, the ki within his body began to twist and churn like a raging hurricane. He gestured towards the sky with a pair of fingers. Instantly, a blinding light engulfed the entire city. Screams of fear echoed throughout the air before being replaced with a loud explosion. Vegeta and Nappa threw up a ki barrier as they flew away from the past, coming to a stop in midair.

When the light cleared, the Saiyans found that the entire city had been reduced to a lifeless wasteland. Only their ships managed to survive the slaughter. Every building and resident of the city was gone. Smoke drifted from the dirt.

Nappa chuckled as he examined his handiwork, "That was great! Did you see the looks on their faces? Classic!"

The taller male seemed to be satisfied with his job, but his prince thought otherwise, "I should have known better to let you pick the attack." his eyebrows narrowed dangerously as he glanced at his partner out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh come on!" the older male assured his shorter partner, "One little blemish won't affect the price of this planet."

Vegeta looked at the other Saiyan as if he were a brainless twit, "Use your brain! We came here for the dragon balls, remember? You remember the wish, don't you Nappa?"

"Well…" the fact that he had to think about it annoyed the other Saiyan to no end, "…yeah," he sounded very unsure of himself, "we-we were going to wish for immortality, right?"

_At least he got one thing right. Neanderthal. _"Good," guessing from his tone, he was mocking his ally, "and what if one of the dragon balls happened to be in the city you just zapped?"

"Oh…" he looked downwards sheepishly, realizing his mistake, "…guess I wasn't using my head."

_What else is new? _"Never mind. What's done is done," his tone changed from scolding to being that of a business man in a meeting, "now first, we need to find the guy with the highest power level," he clicked the bright orange button on his scouter, "_he's _the one who finished off Raditz."

Characters danced across the blue and pink monitors. Arrows gestured to random directions.

"What the Hell? There's practically a dozen guys here with high power levels!" The less intelligent man announced, even though it was blatantly obvious to his partner.

Vegeta's eyes followed the characters as they rapidly changed shape, "Maybe they've been preparing for us?" But he was not discouraged, "No need to worry; let's start with the strongest one and work our way down."

"Right," Nappa glanced back and forth before a loud beep locked onto their targets, "There's three of them. They have the highest power levels out of the rest."

_Then that means two of them might be Kakarrott and Zelena. _"Alright…show them no mercy, Nappa." With that being said, the duo of male Saiyans sped off towards the mountains…

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An ominous aura flooded the gigantic valley. Rubble remaining after a certain half-Saiyans' last transformation still covered the ground.

Standing in the center of the field was a familiar green man. Piccolo's eyes narrowed; he was beginning to feel uneasy. He could sense a set of high power levels that should not exist on Earth. Standing on either side of the man clad in purple and white were two humanoid beings, both of which could be mistakened for 'normal' Earthlings. But the truth was, one was a female Saiyan from outer space, who went by the name 'Roxas'. The other was a half-Saiyan half-human hybrid, who was named 'Gohan' by his father.

A year had passed since a strange alien known as a 'Saiyan' invaded the Earth. During the tense period, Piccolo managed to train both Roxas and Gohan until they were worthy if the term 'warrior'. But even with all of their hard work, defeating the Saiyans would be a challenge. The trio felt uneasy when they realized that the chosen day had arrived.

"Get ready," the man growled, "They're coming."

Roxas's muscles tensed as her eyes located the direction in which the power levels were coming from; she was beyond nervous.

"So…now we get to see the end of this thing." The female Saiyan muttered, hands trembling lightly.

Gohan swallowed, anxiety gnawing away at his insides, "Do you think…do you think we can beat them?"

"Don't show fear," Piccolo snapped, eyes glued to where the Saiyans would appear, "they'll take advantage of it."

The little boy nodded his head; but the shaking in his legs made it obvious that he was scared. _So we can finally finish this thing once and for all. _There were many times throughout the year where Roxas would question herself. Why would she place her life in peril to protect a planet that she did not have any prior feelings for? One reason being her amnesia. It was obvious that she was an alien, but where else could she go? Her memories continued to elude her. And she was not interested in joining these bloodthirsty Saiyans. The main reason being their plan to kill the Earthlings who have shown nothing but kindness to the foreigner.

What she planned to do after the battle was over was still up for debate. But for now, she would focus on ridding the Earth of this Saiyan infestation once and for all.

Piccolo removed his turban and cloak; he would need all of the power he could muster to win the battle.

She jumped as a third power level entered the vicinity. "Do you guys feel that?"

"Yeah." Piccolo glanced towards the right.

The little Saiyan-human hybrid shook as he joined the others in searching for the newcomer, "Don't tell me there's _three _of them!"

"Hey you guys!"

An orange blur appeared before the trio. To their surprise, they quickly found out that it was the little bald man that wore the same Gi as Goku. It was Krillin.

Gohan was the first to voice his arrival, "Hey its Dad's friend."

"Right," Krillin wore a confident grin, "Need some help?"

The green man seemed to be willing to accept anyone's help at this point, "Sure, why not?" he chuckled, amused by the human's confidence, "But things are gonna get intense. You might just slow us down, Krillin."

"Doubt it," he wore a proud expression as he continued, "I've been training on my own."

Roxas's head bobbed up in down with agreement, "Yeah. I can sense a significant increase in your power level," a smile spread across her face, "last time, I barely even noticed that you even had a power level."

Even though her comment was innocent enough, it still impaled Krillin's heart like a poison laced dagger. "Uh…thanks…I think," deciding to change the subject, the little man glanced back and forth, "where's Goku?"

"He's not her yet." Piccolo's gaze returned to the spot where the Saiyans would be soon.

The human narrowed his eyebrows, "Man, he's running late."

"So is he really coming?" Gohan asked, hoping that Piccolo had not lied and that his father would return to the world of the living soon.

He smiled at his best friend's son, "Uh-huh. In fact, Master Roshi talked to him just the other day. He'll be here alright."

"YEAH!!!" the six-year-old boy cheered, excited by the prospect that his father would live once more. A sudden thought struck him, "So you grew up with my dad, right? You're the guy he underestimated 'cause your so short, right?"

The adult male glared at him. He was very sensitive about his height. The poor man was only a foot taller then the six-year-old hybrid. "Well, at the time we were about the same height. But he just grew like a weed and me…I didn't," he was embarrassed to admit it, especially in front of a woman. But Roxas seemed to be ignoring them, opting to gaze at the sky along with Piccolo.

He leaned towards the child, holding one hand up, "By the way, how was your training with Piccolo? He didn't try anything stupid, did he?"

"It wasn't _that _bad," the little boy smiled fondly at the memories he had living in the wilderness alongside Roxas, "once you get used to him he's great. And Roxas is really cool! She's really nice and funny, and…"

"Enough chit-chat! They're here."

Piccolo's words caught their attention immediately. Krillin and Gohan snapped their heads towards the sky. Their jaws dropped as they found a pair of humanoid beings levitating in midair. Both of which were wearing armor similar to Raditz's. One was a little short. To Roxas, he was quite handsome; but there was something unsettling about the smirk on his face. He wore dark blue spandex with gold and white armor. His dark brown tail was wrapped around his waist. His dark brown hair, which could almost be mistakened for black if not for the light of the sun, was spiked upwards like flames.

Hovering beside him was a tall burly man. He wore revealing black and gold armor; his bald head reflected the sunlight. He was not as good looking as the shorter Saiyan.

"They're auras…they're overwhelming!" Krillin gasped, his arms shaking visibly. "W-what're we gonna do?"

"Quiet down…here they come." Piccolo whispered. He remained clam despite the situation.

Roxas wore an emotionless mask, but even she was beginning to lose faith. Their aura was quite powerful; even more so then she first imagined. The duo gently lowered themselves to the ground, wearing cocky grins as they examined their foes.

"So we meet at last?" the shorter of the two men looked from Piccolo to Roxas, and then from Gohan to Krillin. He was not impressed; rather, he was amused by the small band chosen to defend the blue planet.

Piccolo decided to act as the negotiator , "Just for the record: why have you guys come here? We won't do you any harm if you just leave."

"That voice," the shorter Saiyan seemed to be ignoring the green man, "I see…you're the one who defeated Raditz one year ago, weren't you?"

The green male looked at him strangely, "My voice?"

"Right," he unfolded his arms from his chest to gesture to his pink tinted scouter, "didn't Raditz tell you? Our scouters also work as communicators."

The taller looked to his partner, "The green ones from Namek, right?"

"Yes…he's definitely from Namek," this seemed to interest the Saiyan man even more, "No wonder Raditz had such a hard time with him and Kakarrott."

To put it simply, Piccolo was surprised by the news. "I'm an alien…" he breathed.

"Teacher?" Roxas asked, one eyebrow arched.

"I didn't know that you were from outer space," Krillin muttered, "but then again, I guess it makes sense."

Gohan looked to his sensei, "Is that true Piccolo?"

"You didn't know?" the Saiyan with hair chuckled, "Well what a surprise. _Surely _you must have suspected something beforehand. The green skin and pointy ears are a dead giveaway, don't you think?" He was amused by the Namekian's ignorance.

But he decided to move the conversation along, and not to dwell on trivial matters, "Then it was you who revealed the existence of the dragon balls. Tell us. Where are they?"

"But…no-one knows where they are right now, not for a year." Krillin said quickly, backing away a little.

_Then how did you wish Goku back? _"Shut-up!" the taller of the male Saiyans barked, "Look, we know that the balls are down here! We'll find them no matter what; now, do we have to do this the hard way or the easy way? Its your decision."

"Heh...well, thanks to you two," Piccolo muttered, "I now know that I have a home outside of the planet Earth. But I've been here for so long, I've decided that I'd rather stay here. A man should not come to another man's house and order him around like a worthless dog," he grinned, revealing his sharp canines, "your out of line. Now shut-up and do whatever it is you came here to do!" He moved into a battle stance, claws ready to shred the Saiyans apart.

This excited the shorter Saiyan. Yes, he was short, but he was taller then Roxas; she was around five foot two while he appeared to be either five foot three or four. The female noticed that he appeared to be sizing her up as well, a smirk on his face. She narrowed her eyes, moving into a stance similar to Piccolo's.

"Zelena, correct?" the male Saiyan asked.

She corrected him immediately, "It's Roxas!" Her voice was filled to the brim with venom.

One of his eyebrows arched, "Roxas? Okay, _Roxas_, what are you doing helping these Earthlings?" She remained silent. "You're a Saiyan, are you not?"

"According to the porcupine-guy and the _Namekian_ I am." She doubted that the Saiyans knew who Piccolo was by name, so she used the term 'Namekian'.

The smirk that was plastered across his face was unnerving, "Then why not help your own kind? If you come with us, we could make you stronger. We could bring you riches. You could even have immortality…you could live _forever_."

_Who does he think he's kidding? _Roxas shook her head, shrugging his words off, "No way! I could care less about immortality!"

"Then," he gestured to his temple, "what about your memories? Can you recall a single thing?" His question caught her off guard. A small gasp escaped her lips; he caught her reaction, "You can't, can you? Then how about you come with us for information? We have _all _of your answers…if you just come with us, then we'll tell you _everything_. _Every _little detail about your past. You'll finally have a place in this universe."

The proposal was tempting. He did have a point. They were Saiyans like here, so there was a chance that they held the answers she was searching for. Roxas's arms fell slightly; she almost seemed to be in a trance.

"You'll receive _all _of your answers if you help us gain immortality." The Saiyan repeated, a wide grin splitting his jaw in half.

She took a small step towards him; his words were luring her like a moth to the flame. _I can learn everything? _

"Stop! Don't do it!"

Her mind snapped back to reality, eyes connecting with Piccolo's, "So what if you help them? They'll probably just turn on you and kill you once they have their immortality."

_Another good point. _Roxas immediately slid back into her battle stance, "Sorry, got a little distracted. Thought I saw something shiny behind him." He rolled his eyes at her response.

"So you refuse to join our cause?"

She nodded her head, replying in a casual tone, "Pretty much."

"Fine…" his grin widened; the only thing he would regret is killing off the last female of his race, "…but I can assure you that you will regret your decision."

"I don't know," she drawled in a sarcastic tone, "dying sounds better then being ordered around by a midget with a crappy hairstyle."

That jab to his height seemed to irritate him. One eyebrow fell, the corners of his lips giving way slightly. But he did not retaliate; instead, his attention was drawn by another. A roaring sound echoed from the sky. The group of inhuman beings looked to see the source. A handful of helicopters levitated nearby; cameramen were preparing to film the battle that would ensue soon.

The taller of the Saiyans seemed to disapprove their presence. Manipulating the ki in his body, he threw a blast at one of the helicopters, destroying it easily. Burning rubble fell to the ground. A shout sounded from of the aircrafts as they flew away, fearing for their lives.

Once that distraction was out of the way, Earth's defenders slid into position.

"I guess they aren't planning to tell us where the dragon balls really are, are they Nappa?" the shorter male mumbled, looking slightly annoyed.

Nappa reached for his scouter, pressing a random button, "Let's see how strong they _really_ are." Characters danced on his scouter, reading the power levels of each of their opponent.

"The kid's at a thousand," he moved on to Piccolo, "the Namekian is at fourteen-hundred, the woman is at three-thousand and the midgets at eleven-hundred," he threw his head back, bellowing like a walrus, "You're all a bunch of dumbasses! Do you _really _think you can beat us with such low power levels?"

The shorter of the tall removed his scouter while his partner was preoccupied with mocking their opponents, "Hey Nappa, you should take your scouter off," he released the white and pink device, allowing it to fall to the ground, "These guys know how to concentrate their energy, and raise their powers. These numbers are unreliable.

"Heh, good call," he took his own blue and white scouter. Instead of simply dropping it to the ground, he smashed it with his bare hand. "That pansy Raditz let himself be fooled their readings."

His words seemed to alarm Piccolo, "Raditz was a weakling?"

Roxas took the news with ease, "Does that come as a surprise to you? He said it himself, 'the Saiyans that will be coming to Earth are stronger then me'." She attempted to and failed miserably at mimicking the fallen Saiyan's voice.

"He was!?" Krillin gasped, looking more frightened then before.

The female Saiyan nodded her head, looking a little annoyed, "You guys _really _need to start paying attention, or else you'll miss some vital information."

"Well I can't help it if I wasn't there to here him spill the beans." The short human male growled.

"Oh, well then you have an excuse," the Saiyan narrowed her eyes at her tutor, "_Teacher_ on the other hand, he should remember everything since he…"

The man with spikey dark hair looked to his partner as he folded his arms against his chest, "Call on the Saibamen. There should be a few left over from our previous conquest."

"Sure," Nappa laughed, "I doubt these guys will be much of a match for the Saibamen anyway."

Krillin looked at them strangely, "Saibamen?"

"I don't see anyone else here." Gohan glanced back and forth, proving his point.

_What, are they going to grow a bunch of guys out of the ground or something? _The idea was ridiculous. But that did leave one to wonder what a 'Saibaman' was. The Saiyans seemed to be alone.

Nappa dug around inside of the armor protecting his torso, retrieving a small vile. A clear slab separated a sickening dark teal liquid from a few seeds, which were towards the top of the vile. "Looks like we've got six left. But why're we using them, Vegeta?"

"Maybe the Saibamen can persuade them to tell us about the dragon balls, huh Nappa?"

Said man knelt down. He tested the soil before leaving six small indents on the ground, and then dropping the seeds inside. He drenched the little seeds with the disgusting liquid, and then returned to his feet. Earth's protectors gazed at the Saiyan's actions with curiosity. Seconds passed, and yet nothing happened. Roxas was about to assume that they were bluffing, when the ground began to crack and rumble. Without further warning, six short beings, almost the same height as Krillin, burst from the ground. Their skin was a deep forest green, with the arms and heads being a light vibrant shade. Crimson eyes gazed at the party of four. Sharp talons accompanied their toes and fingers. Their brains seemed to break through the skin; it was the same color as their external flesh.

Roxas gazed at the little green men in disbelief. _Your kidding me…they actually grew…wow… _"Well, at least they're shorter then me." Krillin's attempt to lighten the mood was not well received.

Instead of speaking like civilized sentient beings, they made high pitched grunting and squeals, making it almost unbearable to listen to them. The Saibamen immediately encircled the four warriors, moving at an inhuman speed. The group leapt at all four of them, squealing as they soared right past them and began destroying the large boulders around them. It became apparent that they were demonstrating their destructive powers.

"Their brainless monsters." Krillin muttered.

"They're strong too." The green Namekian muttered.

_They're quick little bastards; I'll give them that much. But they don't have very many thought patterns going through their heads, so outsmarting them shouldn't be too hard. _"Hmm…so this is the cream of the crop?" Vegeta appeared to be talking to himself, "Oh well, it'll do."

Krillin was the first to claim his target, "I'll take the ones on the left."

"I've got the two in the middle." Piccolo was just as fast.

Gohan was the last, "Then Roxas and I will split the last two on the right." _That should be pretty easy. And here I thought that this would be a challenge. _

"Alright Saibamen: do as you please, but don't kill them just yet." Their master shouted, leaving little room for argument.

Roxas braced herself as the Saibamen lunged at them…

**End of this chapter. Well, please review and I shall update soon…**


	18. Chapter 18

**And here is the next chapter. Now for the battle against Nappa and Vegeta to begin (finally). I hope you enjoy…**

**Once again, language will go up a few notches compared to before. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 17: Games **

"_In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe_

_And enough shadows to blind those who don't_."

-Blaise Pascal

The green Saibamen charged at the four beings responsible for defending Earth. Krillin ran forward, punching the two Saibamen to the far left in their faces; he did this to pull them away from the rest of the group. Piccolo delivered a swift kick that sent both of his shorter opponents soaring. Roxas caught her own opponent by its head and leapt away from the others, slamming the Saibaman against the ground. She lifted her leg and brought it downwards.

The little green man was not about to quite so easily. Holding up its arms, it caught Roxas's leg. The other clawed hand flew forward. The female Saiyan caught it and using all of her strength, spun around and sent the Saibaman flying.

She lifted one palm and began to manipulate the ki inside of her body. A pink blast formed in the center of her hand; it flew forward, devouring the boulder that the short creature was leaning against.

When the smoke cleared, she found that the boulder and her intended target were gone. _That was easy. _Squealing echoed from behind. Roxas turned just in time for the Saibaman to kick her in the stomach; she hit the ground, coughing up spittle. Saibaman were stronger then she first thought.

Quickly recovering from the creature's attack, she rolled away as it attempted to slice her head in half with its sharp talons.

She quickly returned the favor by socking it in the stomach; but the Saibaman recovered easily, leaving a deep cut on her cheek from its claws. Crimson liquid dribbled down her chin as the wound bled out.

"Ow!" she hissed as she delivered a powerful punch to the head. Rising to her feet, she brought her foot up, and then drug it downward. The Saibaman caught onto her before her foot could collide with the intended target. It leapt at her, wrapping its arms and legs around her torso and knocking her off balance. The alien's sharp fangs tore into her shoulder, eliciting cries of pain from said woman.

Roxas grabbed at it the Saibaman; she stumbled backwards as she attempted to rip its head off of her shoulder, "Shit!" she hissed as she finally tore the mindless Saibaman's head away. Enraged by the stinging sensation in her shoulder, Roxas began ruthlessly slamming the alien's head against the boulder she was standing in front of.

Its arms and legs went slack, allowing her to toss it away. The Saibaman stood up on shaking legs; it was determined to kill her.

_Unbelievable. These guys can take a punch. _Giggling like a hyena on helium, the Saibaman lunged at her. She extended an open palm and called on the ki deep within her body. Pink colored energy shot forward, engulfing the little green man. A loud thud could be heard before the smoke subsided. Lying on the ground was a burned Saibaman, the air now smelling of burning flesh.

The little man got to its feet, growling angrily. "Just give up already!" Bringing her leg up, she kicked it, sending it flying. The little man rolled to its feet and charged at her, cackling.

It was just a mindless being bent on destroying the target set for it. The Saibamen could barely distinguish between friend and foe. That was the realization that she had come to. That also meant that the little alien would never back down until she was dead.

Sighing, she brought her hand up, socking it in the jaw just before it could reach her. "Stay down." She whispered, hoping that it would obey just this once.

It was harder to kill another being then she first thought. Roxas did not want to, but at this point, she was wondering if it would be a mercy killing.

The Saibaman released another high pitched cackle as it flew at her.

Sighing again, she raised her hand, creating a ki beam this time. _This should do the trick. _But releasing the attack was difficult. It was not until the Saibaman was right in front of her, before she finally gave the command and finished it off. Nothing was left after she fired the pink colored beam.

Roxas gazed at the spot where the Saibaman once was. A shiver went down her spine as she registered that she had killed it. Turning away from where the creature once was, she decided to check on the status of her allies.

Piccolo was exchanging blows with a pair of Saibamen. He caught the hands of both of the little men and twirled around, slamming both of the creatures against one another. Krillin was outnumbered by a pair of them; he was blocking as the duo scratched at his arms.

Roxas watched as the one meant for Gohan snuck up on him. "Gohan!" she ran at the alien, but was unable to reach him before the Saibaman kicked him in the throat, knocking him back a few paces. It was about to go at the child, but it came to a stop when Piccolo moved in front of it. Worry filled its eyes when it noticed that Roxas was nearing.

"Gohan, _believe _in yourself!" their tutor urged, "don't be afraid."

Roxas could hear the Saiyans mumbling something to one another.

Krillin prepared for another round, "C'mon 'ya little weeds; give me your best shot!"

"Krillin!"

The high pitched voice caught Roxas off guard. She looked upward, finding an odd pair lowering themselves to the ground.

One was a very short boy; he was almost the same height as Gohan. His skin was as white as snow; round, black irises gazed at the small group. He was bald, his head being covered by black hat with a red ball attached to the top. Two crimson spherical designs had been painted onto his cheeks. He wore a pair of dark green bands around his wrists; a white tank-top covered his torso. A dark, blood-red sash was tied around his waist. His legs were covered by a black pair of pants. Last, he wore short yellow and black boots.

Standing beside him, was a tall man who appeared to be human enough. He was shirtless, allowing Roxas to see his toned muscles. A scar was etched into the right side of his chest. Green, leather form-fitting gauntlets lined with red protected his lower arms and wrists. A dark red sash was tied around his waist, holding his dark green pants up. Last, he wore short yellow and black boots. Like his partner, he was bald. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw that he had a third eye on his forehead; she was not entirely sure if that was normal on this planet, but it was still creepy nonetheless.

"Hey you guys," Krillin seemed to know them, and he was relieved to have them around, "Thanks for dropping in."

_Who're they…and what's with the third eye? Is that normal on this planet? _It was not a very pleasant sight and yet she could not look away.

The bald man spoke his own thoughts, looking at the little green men with an odd expression, "What the Hell are those things? Did the Saiyans bring them or something?"

"No, they grew them." Normally that line would have been a sarcastic remark, but in this case, Roxas was serious.

The bald man shot her a confused look, "What?"

"Don't ask." _I'm already confused as it is. Here I am, trying to kill my own kind to defend a planet I _just _came to, and now they're growing little green people out of the ground. _She was still debating her choice. It seemed strange that she would fight her own race; but she did meet her current allies first, and she felt that it would be more beneficial to remain at their side rather then join a pair of homicidal strangers.

"Whatever…doesn't make a difference," the man looked from Roxas to Gohan and then back again, "who's the kid? Is he Goku's boy?"

Krillin nodded to his tall friend, "Yup. His name is Gohan; Piccolo's been training 'em."

"Then who's the chick?"

"She…"

But the female Saiyan beat him to the explanation, "I'm Roxas and like those two arses over there, I'm a Saiyan," she noticed the look in his eyes, "don't worry, I don't plan on blowing up the planet. I'm on your side."

He nodded his head, "That's a relief…name's Tien Shinhan and the little guy's Chiaotzu."

"Will you guys shut-up already!?" Nappa barked; he was feeling extremely impatient, "Saibamen, I wanna hear these bastards _begging _for mercy! You got it?"

The little green monkey-like beings cackled in response. All six of Earth's fighters prepared for the little Saibamen; each was determined to hold their ground.

"Wait for me!"

The interruption caught their attention. All six of them looked upwards just in time to see another man drop from the heavens.

_Another one of Goku's friends? _Roxas wondered as she looked to the newcomer. Her heart skipped a beat as he turned to face them; he was an extremely handsome human male. He had long, messy black hair that only seemed to add to his appeal. Battle scars decorated his left cheek and his right eye. He wore the same orange Gi as Goku and Krillin, excluding the dark blue weighted undershirt. Guessing form his appearance, he might have been in his mid to late twenties.

"Sorry I'm late," he wore a cocky grin as he spoke. His smile widened when he saw Roxas, "who's the babe?"

She wore a girlish smile and spoke without hesitation, "I'm Roxas; like those guys over there I'm a Saiyan," she almost seemed to blush as she spoke, "um…what's your name?"

"Yamcha," a flashed a dazzling smile, "great to meet you."

A groan echoed from the shorter of the male Saiyans. Vegeta rolled his eyes, "Oh dear God…she's acting an excited school girl. Not only that, but it would seem that our Saibamen are outnumbered," he shrugged, "Gentlemen…and lady…how would you like to make a match of this and fight our soldiers one-by-one?" His smirk widened, "Maybe we should start with the girl and get rid of the weakest one first."

"Does this look like a game to you?" Piccolo growled, angered by the Saiyan's words, "We'll take you all on, _including _you two! Come on you pigs!"

Roxas was brimming with fury as she registered Vegeta's final words, "You filthy son of a bitch! COME OVER HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE YOU COWARD!!!" She was about to rush at him, but Krillin caught her before she could make her move. "YOU'RE JUST HIDING BEHIND A BUNCH OF GREEN MIDGETS!!!" The idea of being considered simply because she was a woman was infuriating.

"Now, now," the little human restrained the angered Saiyan; it was a challenge seeing as she was stronger then him, "easy does it! You don't need to lose your temper! We can bide some more time if we play they're little game."

She glared at him, "Fine, but I'm going to first…I think I'll take the little runt in blue."

"No, I'll go first," Tien muttered, stepping forward; he seemed confident enough. He popped his neck, "I need a good warm-up anyway."

There was a moment of silence from the more intelligent beings; the Saibaman continued to make annoying high pitched grunting sounds. "What? No volunteers?"

Vegeta took matters into his own hands. He looked to one of his little green slaves, "You go. Fight to your heart's content." It nodded its head and moved to stand in front of its green brethren.

"Take 'em out Tien!" the little male known as Chiaotzu shouted, encouraging his friend. Another roaring sound caught their attention.

Looking at the sky, the handful of fighters caught sight of another news crew riding in helicopters just overhead. _How stupid are people on this planet? _Roxas thought as she looked at the pale yellow aircrafts. _The last guys that came just got blown up. _They did not dare to move as close as the other ones had, so they were fully aware of the danger they were in.

"So you want some news do 'ya?" Once again, it was Nappa who attacked. Before anyone could stop him, he raised his fingers in the air and blew the news chopper apart, killing whoever was inside. The remainder of the crew fled from the sight, fearing for their lives.

Roxas glared at the burly Saiyan, "Stop attacking everyone who comes here! You know they're too weak to fight you, so pick on someone who can actually fight. You guys claim to be strong, but you've just been hurting defenseless humans so far. The only one of you guys who've been putting up a fight are your annoying little green weed-things, and they aren't that strong."

"Don't worry," the tall Saiyan chuckled, "If you survive the fight against our Saibamen, which I doubt, then you'll get to see our _real_ power."

_Yeah right. _She was irritated with the fact that they were fighting against a pair of sexist males. They already predicted that she would be the first to die simply because she was of the female species. _Jerks. _

Tien met the little Saibaman's gaze; he was determined to destroy the little gremlin. "Get on with it!" Nappa shouted, becoming annoyed with their constant starring.

Without so much as a warning, the little green ape charged at Tien with amazing speed.

But the taller male was not as weak as his opponent assumed. He delivered a swift punch to the face, sending it flying. It ricocheted off of the ground and attacked once more. Tien charged at it, hands ready to attack. Roxas's face twisted with disgust as the Saibaman's head split open, allowing a nasty pale liquid spill forth. Tien avoided it, causing the group behind him to evade it as well. Piccolo grabbed Gohan before the strange fluid could touch him. It melted into the ground, revealing that it was acidic in nature.

The female Saiyan looked at the distasteful being, "Okay, that was just gross," she then turned her gaze on her male counterparts, "what kind of soldiers are carrying around?" Neither of them replied. So she sent her gaze back to the fight.

Tien appeared behind the Saibaman, who managed to evade his fist as it nearly connected with its head.

This time, his elbow managed to connect with its chest, knocking it to the ground.

"Way to go Tien!" Chiaotzu cried, throwing his hands into the air.

Krillin added his own thoughts while Gohan showered the man with praise, "Got some pretty sweet moves there."

_It's not over yet. _"You seemed to have picked a rather pathetic batch, Nappa." The prince of Saiyans was not pleased with his slave's work. It was being overpowered easily.

"No way! These are the same ones that survived that crazy battle on Tritek!" Claimed the burly yet less intelligent Saiyan. "They're power level is twelve hundred, it's the same as…"

His partner glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes, "As _who?_"

"As…as Raditz…" His voice lowered in volume as he realized his own mistake.

_So are these guys modeled after that Raditz guy or something? _"_Now _do you see my point?"

"Uh…yeah…kinda…" he scratched his bald head with one finger.

Roxas rolled her eyes. _Okay, we've established who the brains of the operation is. Its definitely not the big guy. _The short Saibaman struggled to its feet. _Same as the one I defeated. _

"Tien, he's getting back up!" Chiaotzu warned, gesturing to the little green man. His partner cast a glance over his shoulder.

Just as the little green man had gotten to his feet, Vegeta extended a hand towards him. An azure light began to flow around his palm, and within seconds, the Saibaman was ripped to pieces by an invisible blade. Dark green blood soaked the ground.

"But…Vegeta, why'd you…?" his partner seemed to be just as surprised as the rest of them.

His head dropped to his side, "He wasn't of any use to us anymore." Roxas swallowed hard, feeling a little nervous. _So he kills his own allies? Thank God I did not join up with those guys. _"So, who's going next?" he looked to the female directly, "Weren't you the one who seemed so desperate to fight earlier? Tell you what, if you can defeat the Saibamen, then I'll reserve a match for just the two of us."

She did not move, nor she did voice her thoughts. _I hate being put on the spot like this. _"Alright, if none of you are going to volunteer, then how about we have a free for all?" Nappa suggested.

"Fine by me." Piccolo was the first to accept his challenge.

"No!" Krillin was about to step forward, "_I'll _go next!"

"Hold up Krillin," everyone turned to see that Yamcha was taking his place, "I'll go. I'm really anxious to show these guys just what they're dealing with. Plus, you've been wished back with the dragon balls once already. If anything does happen, then at least I can be revived. Sit this one out, okay Krillin?"

Reluctantly, the little bald man gave in, "'Kay…they're all yours."

"Its like watching a soap opera," the burly Saiyan chuckled, "Go get 'em." The laugh generated by the Saibaman that stepped forward amused Roxas. It was even closer to sounding like a hyena on helium then any of the others had come to.

Yamcha slid into his own battle stance, "Come and get me 'ya green midget!" Both Yamcha and the little green man vanished in thin air.

"They…vanished!" the six-year-old gasped.

_They're really fast. _"Nonsense," Piccolo corrected his youngest pupil, "they're just moving quickly. You can locate them through their energy."

"They're energy?"

He nodded, "All of us are watching them right now, except you Gohan."

"Really?" He tried to focus his gaze.

The green man was right. Roxas could vaguely see a duo of blurs leaping back and forth. Yamcha was blocking all of the Saibaman's attacks, leaping back and forth across the field. At one point in their little battle, Yamcha disappeared and then reappeared behind the little green man. The latter evaded the kick he was about to deliver, leaping into the air and then lunging at him again. Yamcha powered up a blue and white ki beam and then released it unto his enemy. The Saibaman screamed with pain as it burned into its flesh. The attack was strong enough to slam it into the ground, tearing away at the little man's body.

"Wow…" Gohan breathed, amazed by the older male's strength.

Yamcha landed near the crater, smiling triumphantly. _He's good. That's three, including the one the midget just killed. The big guy said his name's Vegeta right? Hmm…Vegeta… _her face broke into a smile as an idea came to mind.

"Looks as though we're in a different league when comparing us to your little weeds." Yamcha turned to face the Saiyans. He felt as though he was on top of the world.

Nappa glared at him, "As if! Come a little closer and say that."

"Nappa, easy." The prince was quick to command his partner.

"Might as well just let me take out all of your little soldiers all at once." The cocky human male added.

_Either he's brave or he's stupid. I'm leaning towards the latter the most. _Vegeta seemed to agree, though, "Yes that would be _very _entertaining."

"Ready when you…huh?"

"Yamcha! Look out!"

Everything happened so fast. A green blur shot from the crater left by Yamcha's attack. The human male turned to face his enemy, only to have it hook its arms and legs around his torso. The little Saibaman lit up before creating an explosion that blinded everyone within the vicinity.

When the light cleared, Roxas was treated to a gruesome sight. Yamcha was lying on the ground; his body was torn and bleeding, leaving nothing but a lifeless corpse.

"Kamikaze." Piccolo whispered, eyes wide with surprise.

Roxas gazed at the sight, eyes wide with surprise, "What…what just happened?" _Those things self-destruct!? _

"That's it!" Krillin moved to the front lines, face twisted with fury, "I'm next! Come and get me; I'll take 'em all on! What're you waiting for? I'll take 'em all on just like Yamcha was going to do!"

Extending his arms, Krillin began to emit an azure glow. Vegeta smirked, "So, you want to fight all four, huh?"

"This is for you Yamcha…" golden electricity flashed in the little bald man's palms. One of the Saibaman charged at him, although it seemed reluctant to do so. Throwing his hands forward, the beam flew in the same direction. Fearing for its safety, the Saibaman leapt out of its way, its brethren soon joining the beast.

Tien and Chiaotzu moved to higher ground. "That attack is moving slow, but I think we should clear out."

At that moment, Roxas realized that if she did not move, she would be caught in the blast. She quickly joined Gohan and Piccolo as they ascended into the sky. Pulling his arms upward, the beam evaded Nappa and Vegeta, coming to a stop in midair. It split into five beams of light and then spread. Two hit the Saiyans while the other three left to demolish the Saibamen. Roxas covered her eyes, praying that the attack had finished them all.

When the light subsided, she opened her eyes. _Are they… _The others were showering the human male with praise. But a loud screeching sound caught their attention. They looked to see that one Saibaman was making its way towards Krillin.

"Krillin look ou…"

But her warning came to a halt when Piccolo caught the little creature's arm, "Hey Krillin, you missed one." He threw the little green man into the air and opened his mouth, allowing a golden beam to annihilate the monstrosity. Now, all of the Saibamen were gone.

"Thank-you Mr. Piccolo." Gohan said with a wide smile.

The man's stoic expression never faltered, "Stay focused, Gohan." Laughter echoed from behind.

The group was surprised to see that Nappa and Vegeta were completely unharmed as they stepped from the smoke and into the opening.

"Surprise, surprise." Vegeta cackled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

_Those annoying…crap… _"Let's get the real fight started. Any volunteers?" Nappa looked from their opponents.

"How about the girl?" the prince of Saiyans suggested, "She seemed so eager to fight us a few moments ago. And I did promise that if she survived the Saibamen then she could have a one-on-one battle with me."

Her face fell. _It didn't leave a single scratch…and already Yamcha is dead…oh…crap… _"Uh…I...I…"

"But I put everything I had in that shot…" Krillin breathed, a look of sheer disbelief on his face. The Saiyans began making their way towards the small group.

_Oh God they're coming over here. _"Hey Vegeta, how about I handle this?" the large one suggested as they approached their prey, "No sense in _both _of us wasting our energy."

"As you wish…but Nappa…" he paused, "leave the Namekian and the girl alone. Do you understand?"

His mind was not in league with his prince, "No not really. Why those two?"

"The Namekian is the one who is going to tell us where the dragon balls are. And the girl…well, I have some unfinished business with her."

Her shown with confusion after hearing his reply, "_What_ business?" _Does he know something? _

"Hmm…enie, meanie, minie…" Nappa muttered as he looked from Krillin to Gohan, and from Tien to Chiaotzu; he was trying to decide which one he would attack first. "…you." Without another word he lunged at the little bald human male.

Piccolo leapt into his line of fire, generating a golden blast that the Saiyan managed to evade with little effort. He leapt from one spot to another, confusing the Namekian before delivering a powerful blow to his gut, sending him soaring several yards away.

"Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan cried. He jumped with fright when the Saiyan appeared in front of him.

"You two are Saiyans," he laughed, "You should be enjoying this."

Piccolo rose to his feet, cradling his chest. "Are you okay?" Tien asked, looking genuinely worried for his ally.

"Yeah I'm fine…just a shot to the ribs."

The Saiyan released a mighty roar as he began to charge his ki, causing rocks and debris to soar into the air. The ground began to shake violently beneath his feet. Laughter escaped the male's throat. Roxas braced herself, trying to fight the energy that was weighing down on her body.

_I don't like the looks of this… _

**And I'm ending the chapter here. Hope you enjoyed. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	19. Chapter 19

**And here is the next chapter. Time for the battle of the Saiyans (hopeful my fight scenes will improve). **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 18: Overwhelmed **

"_Love takes up where knowledge leaves off_."

-Saint Thomas Aquinas

The sky grew dark as Nappa continued to charge his ki. Roxas's legs were shaking as an unseen pressure began pushing her backwards. The others were struggling to hold their ground as well. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Chiaotzu attempted to blast the Saiyan. This move resulted in being blasted away by the man.

"Watch out; he's almost ready." Piccolo warned.

The Saiyan vanished from sight. Roxas frantically searched for him, fearing that he would appear directly behind her.

"Whoa!"

Turning her head to the left, she found Tien narrowly avoiding Nappa's attack. He blocked a flurry of fists and then brought his leg up, attempting to knee the Saiyan in the jaw. Nappa evaded the attack, raised his hand in the air, and then brought it down on Tien's wrist.

Roxas's stomach twisted into a knot as the bald man's hand fell to the ground. Blood spurt from the stub, drenching his lost palm and the once vibrant green blades.

A scream of agony tore through the air as Tien stumbled away, gripping his bleeding wrist.

"Oh…m-my…" her stomach churned dangerously.

Desperate to escape, Tien leapt into the air, with the glowing Nappa soon following. An orange sphere materialized in Tien's other hand. He brought it back, prepared to toss it at the Saiyan. His assault came to an end as Nappa appeared behind him, drop kicking his back and sending him soaring to the ground.

"Mr. Tien!" Gohan cried, his eyes wide with horror, "Mr. Tien get up!"

Charging a golden blast, Nappa laughed as he dropped it to the ground. Roxas, Piccolo, Gohan, and Chiaotzu managed to dodge the blast as it engulfed the ground where they once stood. As the light cleared away, the female Saiyan was shocked to see a deep bottomless pit waiting for them.

_Did it go straight through the Earth or something!? _"Chiaotzu?" Krillin glanced back and forth frantically, "Chiaotzu! Chiaotzu!"

The female scanned the ground for the strange looking boy, but she could not see where he was.

"He's gone!"

Her face fell. _No way…he didn't get another one, did he? _Tien rose to his feet, rage evident in his features, "What's the matter three eyes?" Nappa laughed as he lowered himself towards the ground.

"Nappa, your being careless." His prince warned.

But he was too late to notice. A second later, Chiaotzu seemed to appear out of nowhere and latch onto the bigger male's back. Nappa began reaching for him, but he was too small, "C'mere 'ya little dwarf!" Angered, he began slamming his back against the valley peaks. A disgusting crunching sound was heard, along with a scream of pain with each hit.

Gohan closed his eyes, unable to watch, "Watch Gohan!" Piccolo snapped, "Honor his bravery!"

Roxas's heart skipped a beat with each hit, "Chiaotzu! Let go!"

"Your asking for it!" He took off into the air. The little man began to glow a vibrant blue.

Tien's eyes widened, "Don't do it Chiaotzu! Your not going anywhere!" The Saiyan spun in a circle, and then thrust himself towards the ground. He was planning to crush the little guy. "No, stop it! Get off of him Chiaotzu!" The Saiyan was engulfed in an azure blue light a second later. With a cry, he self-destructed, taking the burly man along with him.

"CHIAOTZU!!!" The three-eyed man screamed, his face twisted with pain.

Gohan was in tears. "He's…dead…" the female whispered, shocked by his self-sacrifice. _But…he didn't die in vain…right? He did get rid of one of the Saiyans…so why isn't… _

The smoke cleared, revealing an unharmed Nappa. Her eyes widened. _Oh my God! _"W-what the…!? But Chiaotzu…he-he…AND HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A SCRATCH!!!" Krillin cried, legs shaking with terror. "After all that!?"

A smile lit Roxas's face, "But wait…can't we just wish Chiaotzu back with the…"

"You can't make the same wish twice!" Tien spat, "We've wished Chiaotzu back once; we can't do it again…"

_Oh…then… _"Hey, we can wish that the Saiyans were somewhere else without their ships!" she added brightly.

"I don't think they'll give us enough time to search for the dragon balls." Krillin muttered.

She sighed, noticing the loophole in her plan, "Oh…there's that too…dammit…"

"Alright you bastard! Let's go!"

He laughed, "Dumbass! It doesn't matter how pissed you are, you and your little friends are going to die either way!" He began lowering himself to the ground.

"M-maybe Goku's not coming." Krillin suggested.

Tien's body shook with suppressed rage as he called out the name of his closest friend. The Saiyan found his pain to be very entertaining, "Don't worry, you'll be seeing him soon enough."

"This one's for you Chiaotzu!" Tien gave a battle cry as he charged at the Saiyan.

The stronger male dodged his attacks with ease, smirking as the man fought to avenge his fallen comrade. Nappa moved as Tien's fist smashed a boulder, and then his knee met the human's stomach, sending him soaring into the air. He hit the ground, leapt to his feet, and then continued his assault on the powerful Saiyan.

The Saiyan moved from side-to-side, grinning as Tien attempted land a hit. Finally, he pounded the human with his elbow, sending him colliding with the ground.

"That's it!" Krillin was about to run towards his comrade, but Piccolo's voice stopped him.

"Wait," the bald human turned towards his ally, looking extremely impatient with him, "his guard will go down when he attacks Tien, and then we'll be able to attack."

A low chuckle caused Roxas to look towards the smaller Saiyan, "You shouldn't take my partner so lightly. Attacking him head on might not go well for you. And don't take your eyes off of them…or else you'll miss your opportunity."

"Then do us a favor and shut-up," The female Saiyan muttered. _I'm getting really sick of this. _"Just wait 'till Goku shows up…then you won't be smiling, now will you?" _I have no idea if he's that strong; but bluffing wouldn't hurt. _

This caught his interest. "Goku? Is he very strong?"

"Yup." She replied with a fake smile.

At that moment, a cry of pain echoed from the background. Roxas snapped her attention back to the fight. The Saiyan known as Nappa managed to thrust the human against a boulder, snapping some of his ribs as he did this.

"LET'S GO GUYS!!!"

Her eyebrows knitted together, "Don't shout dumbass!"

"Hold on! Just a few more seconds." Piccolo curled his fingers tightly.

"But Piccolo…if we don't do something then he'll…"

"Just hold on!"

_Dammit…what're you planning, Teacher? _Nappa chuckled as he flew into the air, "You look pathetic right now. Here, I'll be nice and finish this." He took off after the human male.

"Roxas! Stay here and back up Gohan, Krillin, let's go!" Piccolo barked. Both males shot into the air.

_And once again, I'm left down here. Whatever. _She braced herself. Guessing from the fearful expression on Gohan's face, he was not planning attack anytime soon. Just as Nappa was closing in on Tien, Piccolo appeared at his side, and with a swift kick sent the Saiyan off course. Krillin was next; his fists rose into the air and slammed into the man's back, causing him to fall towards the Earth.

"Its now or never! Fire!"

Gohan gazed at the older Saiyan with fear. "Gohan do it!" the female shouted. But it was too late. He chose to flee and hide behind a boulder.

"Dammit!" Holding up her hands, Roxas quickly charged a golden blast. Piccolo did the same, with Krillin calling on an azure blue light. The male's attacks missed the falling Saiyan while Roxas hit the target.

Blood dripped from his shoulder where the woman's attack had struck. He grinned, "Heh, little bitch got me!" He hovered near the other males.

"I'm…s-sorry guys…I just…" he whimpered, his body shaking.

Roxas stroked his back consolingly, a soft smile spreading across her face, "Its okay Gohan. You did your best."

"Don't worry woman," he laughed, "you'll get what's coming to 'ya soon!"

_Bring it on. _"Just stay out of the way for now Gohan. I'm going to help the others." Her ki began to swirl inside of her body, lifting her into the air. Tien was already gone; he had not moved in a while, and his eyes were lifeless. Now it was only the three of them.

"One down, and that kid's got the right idea." Nappa laughed. The green Namekian was disappointed in his student for fleeing.

The female Saiyan crossed her arms, eyebrow twitched slightly, "Will you shut-up already? Your voice is so freaking annoying."

"Remember Nappa!" Vegeta called from below.

He nodded to his partner, "Don't worry, I won't kill 'yer little girlfriend. She's all yours."

"Girlfriend?" she wore an odd expression on her face as she repeated the word. Looking for her target, she found Gohan hiding behind a rock, "Gohan! What does that mean?"

Piccolo sighed, shaking his head, "Focus!"

"Oh right, sorry." She snapped her head in Nappa's direction. _But what does the other guy want with me? I can understand his need to keep Piccolo alive…but why me? _

The Namekian looked to the shorter human, "Krillin, are you familiar Multi-Form Technique, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Well let's do it! All three of us," he looked to his eldest student, "Did you hear, Roxas?"

She nodded, "Uh-huh." _Hurts like crap but it'll help…I think. _She closed her eyes, focusing all of her energy as she did so. Summoning the needed ki, she slowly pushed it from her body and out into the open. Her body stung as a pair of clones pushed out of her skin and clothing, appearing on either side of her.

Breathing heavily, she gave her allies a thumbs up, "Got it." Both Krillin and Piccolo had their own clones at their sides.

"Then let's go!" All of the clones and the real ones charged at Nappa. A flurry of fists and feet flew around the Saiyan, who parried each blow with relative ease. A powerful ki blast sent the trio flying, slamming into rocks and the ground. Pain throbbed throughout her body as Roxas's clones rejoined with her.

A groan escaped her throat as she returned to the air. _Ow. That hurt. And this guy is way too fast. There's got to be someway we can slow him down. _

"Got any good moves up your sleeve?" Krillin asked.

Piccolo shook his head, "No…sorry."

"I do," this caught her comrade's attention, "but it'll…"

She stopped in mid sentence, as Nappa flew at her, elbowing her in the throat. He kneed her in the stomach and sent her flying. Piccolo and Krillin flew at him. Another wave of fists began to fly as Roxas joined the fray. Nappa kicked both Krillin and the Namekian, and then punched the female Saiyan in the gut. He grabbed the back of her scarf and threw her at the green man, causing her body to slam into his, knocking him off balance. They recovered quickly and flew at the burly Saiyan. Krillin went at the Saiyan, only to have his fist dig into his chest, sending him flying. Roxas was next; she brought her fist back and punched him in the cheek. Nappa chuckled as he swung his leg, allowing it to collide with the back of Roxas's knee.

A sickening snap could be heard. The woman's eyes widened; a scream of pain echoed from the back of her throat.

Adding insult to injury, he brought his elbow down on her stomach, sending her spiraling to the ground below.

"Roxas!" Gohan cried. He ran towards the fallen woman, kneeling beside her, "Please tell your gonna be okay!"

She bushed herself up with one hand before grabbing at her shoulder. Blood dripped form her split lower lip, "Well, other then the…eh…broken leg and, ngh, ow…dislocated left shoulder, I should be just fine."

She turned her attention to the fallen human man. To her surprise, he was still alive. He rose to his feet, chagrining a powerful ki beam. She could see tears in his eyes as he aimed the attack at the Saiyan. Nappa followed her line of vision, and he managed to catch sight of Tien. Holding up his hands, the beam hit his palms, being deflected off and destroying a nearby plateau.

"Damn…it…I…failed…" Tien muttered before falling to the ground. He did not move again. Roxas was not sure whether he was dead or if he was just unconscious.

Vegeta chuckled, "Too bad…it might've worked if Nappa hadn't seen it coming at the last minute."

"No…Tien…h-he…" the little bald human was crushed after seeing the sight of his deceased friend. "…he gave everything he had to help us…" he threw his head back, screaming to the heavens, "GOKU!!! WHERE ARE YOU!?"

"So much for 'ol Three Eyes," Nappa laughed, switching his attention back to the two males, "now where were we?"

Piccolo leaned towards the shorter man, "Krillin, we're gonna have to finish this on the ground. He's seems to have an advantage in the air." The two dropped to the ground; but just as they did this, Nappa lunged at them. Roxas knew what would happen when he met his targets. _Don't tell me they're going to…if they die…then… _She felt as though she were going to feel sick.

"Nappa! Stop right there!"

The adult Saiyan skidded to a stop in midair, looking towards his leader, "Hold on! I need to ask them a question."

"If it involves me then shut-up." The female deadpanned. _He knows something about me yet he won't say a word. Dangit… _

He glared at her, "Its not about _you!_ I'm very curious about this _Goku _you keep talking about, because I'm starting to think that the person you're referring to is actually _Kakarrott._"

"Kakarrott?" she blinked, "what kind of name is _that?_"

But they chose to ignore her comment. "Yeah, whatever you call him!"

This amused the prince greatly; he threw his head back, laughing at the small band of dying heroes. "What's so funny?"

"That you think that Kakarrott can beat us," his palms rested on his hips, "he couldn't even beat his brother Raditz and he was a weakling compared to Nappa and myself," he looked pointedly at Roxas, "Of course, your not different, _Zelena._"

Her eyebrows narrowed, "I told you! Zelena is not name! Its _Roxas_,you worthless oaf!"

"He's gotten stronger since then!"

"Just wait until you meet him." Piccolo muttered.

Nappa threw his head back, laughing at their confidence, "Then why isn't he here yet? That's 'cause he's smart! He's not gonna show up here! He's hiding!"

"Hey you jerk!" Gohan took their argument as a personal insult; they were insulting his role model, the man he had come to idolize, "My dad never ran from anybody! He'll be here and he'll beat you; just you wait!"

Vegeta looked from the child to the last pair capable of fighting them, "You've caught my interest…" he paused, "…we're going to wait for him. Cool off for a while, Nappa."

"Come on Vegeta that's ridiculous! I was about to finish them off." His partner protested. _Wow, the idiots learned a new word. Ridiculous. _Roxas thought as she cradled her dislocated arm.

"Just hold off for three hours; we'll give them that."

The bigger Saiyan snarled as he turned towards his enemies, soaring towards them, "FORGET! I SAY THEY DIE _NOW!!!_"

"NAPPA! DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DEFY _ME!?_"

That caught the man's attention. He jerked to a stop, a fearful expression on his face. "I-I'm sorry…I guess I got carried away." He looked as though he were a whipped puppy; only he was harder on the eyes.

"The battle will resume in three hours whether Kakarrott is here or not."

Turning away from the Saiyans, Piccolo decided to go after his next target: Gohan. Nappa returned to his leader's side.

"Gohan! What was that!?" he barked.

The child jumped, hiding behind Roxas's shoulder. "What do you think you were doing!?"

"I-I'm sorry…" he whimpered.

Krillin crouched beside the child, "Hey, don't be so hard on him. Its his first battle."

"Hmph," he crossed his arms over his broad chest, "Well I'm more angry at myself for counting on him. What a waste of time. Just go home Gohan! If your not going to fight then you'll only slow us down."

Roxas kicked him in the leg, "Lay off! As if we're doing any better." She winced, eyes narrowed. She laid her head against a rock; for some reason, she was feeling extremely drowsy.

"You should probably leave too," Piccolo muttered, "with your broken leg and dislocated arm, your completely useless," He expected a form of retaliation, but all he could hear was her breathing. Looking down, he found that she was asleep. "I can't believe this."

The trio decided to sit back and wait for Goku to arrive; hopefully, he would before three hours were up…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vegeta sighed as he dropped onto a rock. The tree looming above his head provided some shade for him. It had been an hour, and yet Kakarrott was nowhere in sight.

Nappa was beginning to lose his patience, "I'm getting sick of this Vegeta! Why're we waiting?"

"Because I think we need to teach Kakarrott and Zelena a lesson. They were given the chance to join us; but they chose to betray. They've forgotten what it means to be a Saiyan and therefore, they must be punished. We're going to wait for Kakarrott to show his cowardly face, and then we're going to make the both of them watch as we kill Kakarrott's son and all of their friends. And after they've come to understand the price of they're betrayal…" he chuckled, "…you and I can take our time tearing them apart."

Nappa agreed with his plan completely, "That's a great plan, Vegeta!"

"Of course, it all depends on whether or not Kakarrott decides to show." He added.

This excited Nappa even more, "So if the guy doesn't show in a couple of hours I still get to kill these four, right!?"

"No Nappa…not all four," Vegeta's eyes slid towards the sleeping female Saiyan. "we still have to ask the Namekian about the dragon balls. He leaned against the tree, eyes closing as he did so…

**End of this chapter. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thank-you for reviewing. Most of my storyline changes will happen later (but they will happen eventually). Like I said, please be patient with me. Once again, my OC acts weird in this chapter. Please enjoy…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 19: Relief **

"_To imagine is everything_

_To know is nothing at all_."

-Anatole France

The sun hung in the azure colored sea; golden light washed across the wide open valley. Standing near the boulders were Piccolo, Krillin, and Gohan. The only female in the vicinity was taking her sweet time waking up. The young Saiyan prince, Vegeta, was still resting on a boulder a few yards away from his opponents. Instead of sleeping, he took his time admiring the unconscious female. His partner was off doing whatever would entertain him until three hours were up. It had been years since the Saiyan met the young woman; the last time he saw her, she was a sobbing infant that refused to cease her insufferable sniveling. Now she was a pathetic young woman who no longer deserved to be referred to as a 'warrior'.

It was a pity and a great disappointment to Vegeta. It was tragic that he must be forced to kill the last female of his race. But she gave him no other choice.

One eye met his pink tinted scouter. Reaching upwards, he clicked a button and brought up the time. _Ten minutes. _He sighed, shaking his head. _If Kakarrott was going to come, then he would have been here by now. _An even greater disappointment. A true Saiyan would stay and confront the source of his or her demise head on. At least Zelena had the decency to do that.

A final beep signaled the end of their lives. He decided to give them a warning before his partner returned and killed them one-by-one.

"Time's up." he rose to his feet, dropping his scouter on the ground as he did so. Immediately, Piccolo, Krillin, and Gohan went on the defensive. The female rose to her feet in a way that reminded the prince of a robot.

"Are you okay?" Krillin whispered to her; he wore a look of amazement. She nodded her head and moved into her own battle stance; the prince took note that it was different from before. Her bangs covered her eyes now. "But how are you standing; I thought your leg was broken!" She shrugged. He gave Piccolo and Gohan an odd look before returning his attention to the battle field, "Well it doesn't matter now. The good thing is, your all better."

A smirk replaced the frown on his face. _At least Zelena can die in battle; like a true Saiyan would. _"So…it seems Kakarrott has decided to let you die on your own."

"Hey Vegeta!"

A second later, Nappa dropped to the ground. His timing was perfect. He glanced back and forth before meeting his prince's gaze, "Where's Kakarrott?"

"Well Nappa, for once you were right," he crossed his arms over his chest, "he's not coming."

Gohan took this insinuation as an insult once more, "Yeah he is! My dad's not afraid, he'll be here!"

"That's right! He'd never abandon his friends!" Krillin seemed to have just as much faith in his childhood companion; if not more. Nappa removed the armor on his torso, stretching his limbs as he did so.

He began making his way towards the four, cracking his knuckles. "So do you wanna die one at a time or all four at once?" he chuckled lightly, "Pick."

"I don't want to repeat this: we only have one chance to beat him," Piccolo whispered, trying to keep his voice low so that the male Saiyan would not hear him, "but its going to take all of us for it to work. Krillin. Roxas. I want you to charge him. But don't get too close; I just need you to get his full attention for a few seconds. Meanwhile, I'll sneak up on him and grab his tail. That's a Saiyan's weak point. Gohan, when I grab his tail, I want you to attack him. _Full _force."

This worried the six-year-old, "But…I don't know, Mr. Piccolo. I mean…what happens if I miss?"

"You won't miss. Don't worry; you have all you need to get the job done. I promise you that."

Feeling new vigor, the child nodded his head and turned to face the beasts. The pace of his heart increased at the thought of having to kill someone; it was a terrifying experience.

"Shake it off Gohan; what you did before was only natural. But you're ready now. I have full confidence in you." Piccolo was trying to encourage the child so that he would try his hardest this time.

Nappa came to a stop a few feet away, "Secrets…secrets…what're you guys whispering about?"

"That's for us to know," he grinned, flashing his sharp canines, "but you'll find out soon enough."

Now he was curious, "Well don't keep me waiting too long, the suspense might kill me," he threw his head back, laughing at his own joke, "Oh sorry, guess I shouldn't get your hopes up like that! But it doesn't really matter what you do; you're still going to die!"

A second later, Nappa released a loud choking sound, spittle flying from his lips. Standing in front of him was the female Saiyan. It was as if she teleported from their sides.

"H-how did she…" Krillin was about to ask, but a look from Piccolo told him to go along with it. "…right. Take this!" The little human male ran at the Saiyan while he was disoriented from the woman's punch.

Her knee flew upwards, smacking into his jaw with tremendous force. There was a light cracking sound as bone met bone; talking would be quite painful for him now. The woman skipped to the side without another word, allowing Krillin his moment in the spotlight. He ran at Nappa, who recovered and was prepared to catch him. But instead of attacking, he generated a blue light and shot it at the ground, propelling his small body into the air. When Nappa was distracted, Piccolo appeared behind him and grabbed his tail. The woman remained nearby, a small smirk on her face.

"Hey, what the Hell!?" the man bearing a hideous mustache gasped.

The green Namekian glanced over his shoulder, "Gohan! Now!"

Just as he was commanded, the little boy ran at their opponent. He was preparing his ki for a powerful attack, and just when it seemed that he would have his chance, Nappa elbowed Piccolo in the head with all of his might, grinning wildly as he did. His one hit was strong enough to knock the powerful Namekian unconscious; his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fell to the ground.

Nappa lifted him up by the back of his shirt, holding his chin. "Don't die on me now. We still need to know about the dragon balls."

"B-but what happened!? He grabbed his tail!" Krillin was almost at a loss for words.

An exasperated sigh echoed from below, "Idiots," everyone looked downward at the female Saiyan; her tail was wrapped around her waist. "Isn't it obvious? These two have trained their tails so that they simply go numb when someone grabs them; unfortunately, I have not had time to do so myself."

"But…if it was so obvious, then…" the little bald human began. His eyes grew wide with surprise, "…how did you know!? _Did _you know before we grabbed his tail?"

She flicked her bangs from her eyes. Immediately, Vegeta noticed the difference. Before, she had the eyes of an innocent human bent on protecting this pathetic planet. But now, her glacier colored irises was cold and detached. They were sharp and ruthless. The eyes of a true Saiyan warrior.

"Of course," she smirked up at the little bald human, "I simply chose not to say anything. Your big boys, I was sure you could figure it out for yourselves."

His face fell as he heard the news, "But…Roxas…I thought you were on our side! That was important information!"

Her eyebrows knitted together, "Roxas? Who is that?"

"Huh?" both Gohan and the little man gasped out loud. The older male was the first to speak, "Stop playing games! Are you with us or against us!?"

She flicked her bangs again, "Neither."

"WHAT!?" they cried. Now they were confused.

One eyebrow rose, "What? Did I stutter?"

"No but…then why're you here!?"

She looked to the fallen Namekian, "Because, I need him for something. That and I could not pass up a good fight," her smirk broadened, "don't worry. I'll go back to sleep soon…so am I to assume that _she _is Roxas?" Krillin and Gohan stared at her, "Well, then allow me to introduce myself…"

In a theatrical fashion, the woman took a bow, hooking one arm around her back and holding the other in the air. "You may call me Zelena, the last female of the Saiyan race." Straightening her body, she flicked her bangs from her eyes.

Her eyes danced from one Saiyan to the other, "It is a pleasure to meet you two," a wild grin replaced the smirk, "may I know your names before I kill you?"

"Heh, 'ya little bitch caught me off guard again…" the burly Saiyan laughed, "…name's Nappa! And don't you forget it!"

The man with hair resembling flames was wearing an intrigued expression, "Vegeta…the _prince_ of our race."

"A prince? Ooh, I can't wait to see your skills. Princes are usually _very_ powerful by default," Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. But then her eyes narrowed, "you should clear that guy off the field, lest you risk killing him and dash your hopes for whatever it is you desire."

Nappa chuckled as he tossed Piccolo to the ground; he landed with a loud thud a few feet passed Zelena.

"Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan dropped to his knees, shaking the unconscious man, "Piccolo wake-up! Please wake-up, we need you!"

She snapped her head in the child's direction, "Stop crying!" He ceased immediately. The power in her voice was amazing when compared to the soft, motherly Roxas. "Crying won't solve anything."

"Heh, well now that he's out, I might as well find someone else to play with," his grin widened when he laid his eyes on Zelena, "how about you?"

He flew at her without another warning. Casually, Zelena hooked her arms around her back, a light smirk spreading the corners of her lips. Manipulating her ki, her body lifted into the air. Nappa followed; he closed in and swung his fists. With elegance and grace that far surpassed a trained dancer, Zelena evaded each attack. Nappa delivered powerful punches and kicks that would have killed a human, and yet each attack missed the woman, who casually dodged each blow with a soft smile on her face. She even took to circling the Saiyan, showing off to the others below. Nappa was visibly frustrated with the fact that he could not land a single hit on this annoying woman.

Deciding to change the tide of battle, Zelena sped around to his back, brought her leg up and then backwards, and then with tremendous force, brought it forward. It collided with his side, sending Nappa spiraling into the ground. Dust and debris clouded around his body as he hit.

The female Saiyan dropped downwards and with a swift kick to the side sent Nappa flying; his muscular body smashed about two plateaus before hitting a third and simply cracking it. One more hit and the mound of rock would shatter like glass.

Running forward, Zelena did just that. She allowed her knuckles to collide with the rock, causing it to topple onto the disoriented male whilst she ascended into the air.

"Come now," she teased, "This is child's play! Are you meaning to say that _this _is what you fools have been struggling with? Even that weakling Raditz put up a better fight."

Debris exploded into the air as Nappa flew at Zelena. She smiled at his new vigor, ducking backwards before his fist could collide with her face.

"Too slow." she moved away, evading each punch and kick with ease.

Her movements reminded the beings below of dancing; it was obvious that she was teasing Nappa.

A disappointed sigh could be heard, "Your no fun," She flew upwards and delivered a powerful drop kick to the head, sending Nappa spiraling to the ground. Taking her chance, she teleported to Krillin's side. "I'm giving you enough time for a sneak attack; take it." She hissed in a low tone before materializing beside Nappa once more.

Giving a mighty roar, the burly Saiyan's fist shot upwards. At first it seemed as though it connected with her chin, but the others noticed that her palm hovered between the two.

Pushing downwards a little, she lifted one leg in the air, "You're a weak excuse of a Saiyan Nappa! I expected better from you." Cruelly, her foot connected with his arm. A disgusting snap echoed throughout the valley. Nappa gave a scream of pain as he arm fell limp; it was in a position that should have been impossible for one's arm to achieve.

"An eye for an eye," she turned away, "that was for breaking my leg earlier. I would have done the same, but you could fix the issue by hovering. Breaking your arm would be far more beneficial for me."

Just as she finished her sentence, Krillin flew over Nappa. Holding his hands back, he called on an ivory and blue light.

"Now I'll finish this!" he cried. But before he could launch his attack, Nappa flew into the air and punched him in the stomach. A quick kick sent the man sliding across the ground.

Nappa dropped to the ground, glaring at Zelena fiercely. Stomping towards her, he reached outwards. She walked away from him to evade his grasp.

"Pathetic. All of you." She spat harshly, eyes looking at Gohan pointedly.

Krillin glared at her as well; she was being completely unfair. He could not help it if Gohan was not ready for battle or if Saiyans were naturally stronger then humans.

Holding one hand in the air, he decided to prove her wrong, "Fine! I'll use my strongest technique!" Charging his energy, he summoned forth a flat golden disk. Nappa braced himself for what was to come, a wide smile on his face. "Time to see if all that training paid off…" he whispered to himself. Zelena calmly waited for him to commence his attack.

"Here, catch!" He tossed the rapidly spinning disk of ki at him, screaming out the name, "Destructo Disk!"

The muscular man grinned, "So you wanna play catch, huh?" He held out his hands. The disk flew at him with amazing speed; Zelena knew what would happen if it hit. She also knew that the man would dodge it.

"Nappa! Don't touch it!" Vegeta called from the distance.

Unfortunately, the man moved just in time for it to graze his cheek. The disk flew by Zelena and sliced through the nearby peak. Her jaw fell in amazement. "You were planning to catch it? Imbecile!" _Dear God; how idiotic can this man get before he learns his lesson? _

"You! You cut me!" he roared, "You've scared my beautiful face! Now you'll pay for it!!!"

Zelena blinked, looking a little confused. She and Vegeta seemed to have the same thought: _Beautiful face? _

Nappa generated a powerful beam of energy and threw it at Krillin, injuring the weak little human man. But another explosion from behind caught him. Angered, he turned to see that it was Piccolo who fired the beam.

"You Namekian trash! You think you can shoot me in the back and get away with it!?"

The female decided to add her two cents, "Well of course he can," this caught his attention, "you should never underestimate one's strength. It doesn't matter if your male, female, Saiyan, human, Namekian…if you underestimate your opponent even once, you _will_ die."

"SHUT-UP YOU BITCH!!!"

She rolled her eyes, "Using foul language won't fix anything; its about as useless as crying," her hands took to resting on her hips, "Besides, I'm sure he mistakened your back for your face. Its impossible to tell the difference anyway."

In the background, Vegeta was practically rolling on the ground with laughter. Piccolo was wearing a smirk on his face.

"I don't know Nappa," the prince of Saiyans cackled, "its an easy mistake."

Piccolo's smile faded; he was irate and tired, "Bring it on!"

"You arrogant fool," _Oh so he knows what that word means? _"I can take you life whenever I want! The only reason your still breathing is because we need you to tell us about the dragon balls! And once we have that, you'll be nothing more then a memory."

"You caught me by surprise. It won't happen again!"

Zelena's eyes swerved in a random direction. There was a high power level heading towards them. "Can you sense that…?"

"Yeah," Piccolo's eyes widened, "there's a huge power level coming towards us."

Gohan's eyes lit up, "Its my dad! He's different somehow, but I just know its him!"

"Your just trying to distract me! You can't sense power levels without some sort of device!"

Zelena turned her attention back to him, "Of course we can. It took a while, but I learned how to do it. Too bad you won't live long enough to learn how."

"Its Goku alright," Piccolo grinned, "and judging by the power I'm sensing you Saiyans are in store for the fight of your lives!"

"This is great! I knew my dad would make it here in time!"

_So Goku is coming? Its been quite a while since I've seen him. I wonder how he's doing…and why he wasn't here in the first place. _"Your all a bunch of liars! Where is he? I don't see anyone! Vegeta, what do you think? Is Kakarrott really coming or not?"

"Calm down Nappa," he reached downwards, placing his scouter over his eyes, "Certainly there is nothing to worry about." He pressed a button, watching as the characters changed wildly. When they came to a stop, his eyes widened.

"What's wrong Vegeta? You look like you've seen a ghost or something. Don't tell me their telling the truth!"

He looked in the direction that Goku was coming from, "Something is definitely headed this way. But it can't be Kakarrott, the power levels too high! Whatever is coming has a power level of five thousand."

"Ooh…that used to be my highest power level," Zelena said in an excited voice, "but after training with the Namekian, its increased quite a bit."

Nappa jumped, "WHAT!? NO WAY!!!"

Vegeta shot her a look. His eyebrows were narrowed; he was not as cocky as before. She merely smiled at him. "And I can't wait to show you."

"NO WAY! YOUR SCOUTER MUST BE MALFUNCTIONING!!!"

She glared at him, "Shouting won't make Goku and I any weaker, I can tell you that much," one eyebrow arched, "and is it so hard to believe that we may have been training before you guys arrived? I know I have, or this case, Roxas has been training this body during my absence."

Piccolo cackled, "So then, do you _still_ think we're bluffing?"

"Nappa, quickly, kill them all! We can't let them join with this fighter."

"But what about the dragon balls?"

"We don't need these fools to find them! Its all becoming clear to me now; it must have been the Nameks that created the dragon balls. I've heard of the magic balls of Namek before, but I'd always thought that they were just a legend. It can't be just a coincidence that while searching for these dragon balls we find a Namekian. Furthermore, I think I've discovered the 'Ghost that has been haunting Namek for quite some time. It is in fact Zelena; one of our soldiers who managed to survive an attack on the planet said that a woman resembling a Saiyan ambushed them. Now I see why the Namekian is important to her, and why she would be here and not the planet she was destined to destroy; Zelena is in league with the Namekians and is here to contact the one on Earth."

A clapping sound could be heard as he finished his monologue, "Good job. I must say, Vegeta, you _are_ a perceptive one, aren't you?" she sighed, shaking her head, "Never thought that my plan would be found out, but yes, I am here to contact the Namekian. My reasons, however, shall not be revealed," she smirked, "but I'm sure that you'll figure it out on your own soon enough."

"I already have," Vegeta grinned at her, "but I'll let everyone else come to their own conclusion."

Nappa decided to cut into the conversation at that moment, "So…that means that this Namekian is expendable."

"Yay, he's learned a new word." Zelena applauded the now irate Saiyan.

"Piccolo!" everyone was surprised to hear Gohan speak, "Leave now! I can take care of this bully myself until my dad gets here!"

_Ah, so his true Saiyan blood is showing. Good job, Gohan. _"What? _Is that everyone's favorite word on this planet? _

"If we lose you, then the dragon balls will disappear and we won't be able to wish any of our friends back to life!"

He scoffed, "Thanks for your concern Gohan, but I really don't think that you can handle these guys alone."

"Heh," slowly, Nappa looked towards Gohan, "Just for that…you die first," he turned to face the child, "Okay brat! YOU DIE!!!"

Zelena watched as he rushed at the boy. Piccolo was right behind him. _Have faith in yourself child, and you'll win. Just don't run away. _It seemed as though he would be beaten to a bloody pulp, but then Gohan leapt into the air and kicked Nappa in the face, sending him soaring past Piccolo and slamming into a gigantic boulder. _Good boy. _It completely shattered; it was as weak as glass compared to the child.

"I…I…don't believe it." the Namekian gasped, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Its not over yet." she warned just as Nappa appeared from the debris; he landed a few feet away from them.

He was enraged. "YOU! I'LL KILL YOU RAAAAHHH!!!" Charging his ki, he created a powerful blue beam. The energy flew forward like a starving beast pouncing on its prey. Gohan simply stood there, eyes wide with fear. Zelena remained in place; she was waiting for him to make a move. _You can do it Gohan. Deflect it! _

Patiently, she waited for the child to protect himself. But at this rate, she was beginning to think that he would disappoint her.

She was surprised when she saw Piccolo rushing towards the beam. _Hm? _Like a wall he stood between the ki and the child. It tore at his clothes and flesh, blood spurting from the fresh wounds. His screams could be heard from across the world. Zelena watched as the light subsided and the smoke cleared, revealing a thoroughly beaten and bloodied Namekian and a tired and frightened child.

"P-Piccolo…" the little boy whispered.

_How disappointing. _Zelena made her way towards the pair.

"I-Its okay kid…" his legs gave way, and he fell to the ground.

The female Saiyan knelt beside him, eyes soft. "Please Piccolo," Gohan sobbed, "don't die!"

"Its up to you…R-Roxas…protect Gohan…and Gohan…you must stop them…don't falter…" Zelena's heart skipped a beat. She pressed a palm to her forehead. _No…not yet…just a little longer. _She shook her head. _Damn it…its hap…no… _her head fell limp.

"Please Piccolo," he sobbed, "hold on just a little longer, my dads coming!"

"Ah," Nappa laughed, "too bad. I wanted to take my time with the Namekian. Oh well…I can still have fun with the girl and the kid."

Piccolo chuckled, "Ironic isn't it…after all my years of training…I got out like this, trying to save you, his son…" he coughed dark purple colored blood, "Gohan…you and Roxas are the only friends I've ever had…I just wanted to thank you…" his breathing was ragged. "you…were like the son I never had…and Roxas…you…I…" life faded from his eyes.

"NO!!!" Gohan screamed, disbelief shown clearly on his face.

Tear drops fell from the female Saiyan's eyes as Gohan released a tormented scream filled to the brim with anguish. He got to his feet, charging a golden blast.

"NAPPA WATCH OUT! THIS ONE IS MUCH MORE POWERFUL THEN HE APPEARS!!!" Vegeta called from a distance.

But his partner did not listen. The child fired the blast, only to have it thrown back at the mountains behind him. They blew up upon impact.

"Not too bad kid," Nappa cackled, "that made my arm numb. Now its my turn."

Gohan sighed, a defeated look on his face, "I won't lose…" he held up his fists.

"Gohan, no!" a tearful female Saiyan ran towards the child, a desperate expression on her face. Just as Nappa was about to crush them, a familiar yellow cloud swept them into the air.

The pair opened their eyes, noticing the change.

"What is that thing? What's go'in on!?"

"Huh? Daddy!"

The woman looked upwards, "What?"

It was just as they said. Goku was hovering overhead, eyes narrowed dangerously. "Goku!" Krillin shouted, a relieved expression on his face.

"He's alive?" the woman gasped, an amazed expression on her face.

"Its so nice of you to join us." Vegeta chuckled as he made his way towards the merry band.

The woman looked down at the child sitting beside her, "Gohan…what happened?" she blinked, "How did Teacher die?" Her eyes were different. They were the same kind irises that the boy had come to know and love.

"Roxas? Is it you? Are you back?"

She nodded, "Of course, but…where did I go?"

"You were acting so different," he hugged her around the waist, "I thought you were going to leave us!"

_What is talking about? What was I doing when I was supposed to be asleep? Even better question: why is it my leg and shoulder are not hurting like a bitch? _"But now my dads back, and he'll save us all! I won't have to lose you!"

"I see…not much for words, eh Kakarrott?" Vegeta's smirk broadened, "well your just in time; we were getting tired of beating on those so called fighters over there. Although Zelena gave us a good show."

She glared at him fiercely, "I SAID MY NAME IS NOT ZELENA! ITS ROXAS!" _Dumbass. _Vegeta shot her a confused look, but then shook it off.

Goku crossed the large clearing without a word. He knelt beside Piccolo's corpse, pressing a finger to the Namekian's neck, "Piccolo." his eyes began to scan the valley.

"He was protecting me…he saved me…"

"He was?" Roxas never expected their harsh sensei to throw his life away like that.

Goku's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Tien…Yamcha…"

"These guys' friends of yours? Sorry about that. They were all fun to fight but they all met the same fate in the end," Nappa laughed. "Yeah that's right. I took care of them all. And the whole time I was pounding them, they were waiting for _you _to show up. Somehow they knew you were coming, but it didn't matter. You were too late."

Goku glared at him; he began making his way towards the Saiyan. Roxas thought that he was going to attack, but instead he calmly made his way past them, "Come on you two. Let's go get Krillin."

He knelt beside the injured man, "Hey Krillin, you alright?" His voice was kind; it was amazing that he could hurt anyone.

"Fantastic." The little man replied; he was beaten and bruised.

"Sorry I was a little late," he reached into his pocket, "but its okay now," he pulled out two senzu beans, "I brought some senzu beans for you. These were Korin's last ones."

"But…then shouldn't you keep them?"

"Nah, I've already had one for myself. These are for you guys."

"I'd be wasting it…you need it…"

"But its _your _help that I might need. That's the truth Krillin, I promise." He handed it to Krillin, who reluctantly began chewing on it.

He smiled at his childhood friend, "Thanks Goku."

"Now, are you two okay?"

Roxas shook her head, "No, Gohan needs one. I'll be fine though…surprisingly." He nodded and handed it to his son, who consumed it rather quickly. Krillin got to his feet, stretching his limbs.

"We gotta learn how to grow those beans!" Roxas and Gohan dismounted the nimbus cloud.

Goku looked from each of his friends, "You've all gotten a lot stronger. I can feel it."

"Um…dad," Gohan turned a pleading gaze on his father, "Is there a way we can bring Mr. Piccolo back?"

He nodded, "Yup. But first we have to focus on beating these guys."

"With your increased strength, and us back at full power, we have a really good chance of beating those jerks!"

"Right…but you've done your part. Maybe you should let me handle the rest. I'll handle it all by myself."

Roxas's face fell immediately, "But Goku! Everyone else got slaughtered! You can't…"

"Don't worry…" he glared at the Saiyans, "I'll be fine." At that moment, his aura increased. It was a pure silver. It was higher then before.

_Goku? _The man began making his way towards the burly man. "This has gone on long enough," Goku wore a determined gaze; his fists clenched and relaxed over and over again, "this ends right here. Right now."

Sliding into his own battle stance, Goku began charging up his ki. The debris littering the ground drifted into the air as the energy within and around his body increased drastically. Roxas could see the ivory light as it licked at his body, growing in intensity. His battle cry echoed around the valley as his power level increased.

At that moment, she knew that the Saiyans were done for…

**End of this chapter. I have to cut it off here. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank-you for reviewing; and thank-you for pointing out my spelling error. Yes, Nappa's arm is still broken. More on the Zelena/Roxas thing will be explained. I'm not sure which one is the main OC of this fic; I'm still trying to figure that one out. Anyway, hope you enjoy…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 20: Struggle **

"_Love does not begin and end the way we_

_Think it does. _

_Love is a battle, love is a war…_

_Love is growing up_."

-James A. Baldwin

Sliding into his own battle stance, Goku began charging up his ki. The debris littering the ground drifted into the air as the energy within and around his body increased drastically. Roxas could see the ivory light as it licked at his body, growing in intensity. His battle cry echoed around the valley as his power level increased.

The energy whipping around Vegeta's body was burning his skin. His eyes grew wide with shock as his scouter beeped to life, scanning the newcomer's power level.

Golden colored characters changed rapidly, the number constantly increasing.

Roxas massaged her arms as the ki stung her flesh; she never dreamed that she would see someone such a high power level. Krillin and Gohan could feel it as well. They moved as far as they could yet remain close enough to get a front seat to the show.

The characters came to a stop. "Huh? Eight thousand…how?" but then they continued to soar upwards, shocking the prince once again. "Wait…it's over _nine_…!"

"Uh, Vegeta…:" the half-dressed burly Saiyan glanced at his partner, "…what'd you see his power level was?"

Temper rising, the prince of the Saiyan race ripped his scouter off. The last time he met someone with such a high power level had been on Planet Vegeta. And he came to Earth expecting to fight a pair of weaklings; but Zelena managed to make sport of Nappa, and now Kakarrott increased his power level to such a high number in such a short time. It was ridiculous.

His fingers clenched the small scouter, digging into its metal surface, "It's over nine thousand!" Cracks decorated the scouter before it finally broke apart; static sparked to life for a split second as the pieces fell to the ground.

"NINE THOUSAND!? THERE'S NO WAY!!! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" His tall partner was not taking the news very well.

Goku decided to reveal the reason his power level increased so quickly at that moment, "It is right. I was trained in the art of Kaio-ken."

"Kaio-ken?" The style was unfamiliar to the Saiyan prince.

His less intelligent companion seemed to care less about this new fighting style. "Who cares!? I'M STILL GONNA CRUSH YOU!!!" he charged at Goku, holding up one fist. His other arm flopped around as he ran; it would hinder his capability, but he would make do with what he had.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED!!!" He leapt at the smaller Saiyan like a wild animal.

Closing his arms, it seemed as though he had the man; but with a flash of red and a swift kick to the back of the neck, he was proven incorrect. Goku managed to evade the attack and move behind the man, delivering his own assault within the blink of an eye. His friends and son were speechless. Nappa dropped to the ground like a sack of brinks.

Using his good arm, he hoisted himself up, getting to his feet. "You son of a…I'm gonna rip you apart!"

"I don't know. Your lack in speed makes me think otherwise."

"What? You little…" he growled, "…that was just beginner's luck! I'm the second strongest Saiyan in the universe!"

Goku did not hesitate to mock his opponent's statement, "Heh, well if your friend is stronger then you, then that makes you the _third _strongest."

"Kakarrott…" his muscles bulged as he prepared to charge once more, "…DIE!!!"

He ran at Goku; the moment he was close enough, the shorter man was engulfed in a flurry of kicking and punching. He evaded each limb with little effort; leaping over Nappa's foot when he kicked, ducking when he punched. He was not as theatrical as Zelena had been, but it was quite the show in the end. The bald Saiyan tried to deliver another punch, only for Goku to disappear completely.

He glanced back and forth, confusion evident in his features, "Huh? Wha…"

"Over here."

Nappa turned around, finding Goku standing a few feet away. This only served to anger the Saiyan even more.

Krillin was gaping at the sight. He thought that his friend was strong before, but this new height was beyond anything he had seen before. "Wow! Did you see how your father did that!?"

"Nuh-uh," Gohan looked to his new friend, "Did you?"

The size of her eyes could rival dinner plates, "No way…was he always that strong?"

"No, he's gotten better." The shorter bald human replied.

Nappa ran at his prey once again. With breath taking speed, Goku sprinted at the burly man. Just as the taller male was about to capture him in his arm, the man clad in red teleported onto his head. Nappa attempted to deliver a powerful punch with his one good arm, but the little man teleported back to the ground and connected his fist with the taller man's gut. Nappa doubled over, grabbing at his throbbing stomach in pain.

Goku's hands dropped to his sides as he returned to his full height, "That's for my friends."

"I…" Nappa fell to his knees, obviously angered by the runt's amazing power, "…I was commander of the _whole Saiyan army! _I'm…I'm _better _then _you!_" he looked upward at Goku. The thought of having such a low-class Saiyan looking down on him was infuriating.

Out of rage, the burly Saiyan swung his good fist at the man. Goku evaded the attack. The general dropped onto his good hand and swung his legs at Goku; once again, the more talented of the two avoided the attack. This time, he punched the general in the back, sending him soaring and smashing through one rock and at least one plateau. Nappa returned to the air, growling like an enraged bear.

"I'M DONE WITH THIS!!!" he began to charge his energy; a golden light devoured his body. "_KAKARROTT!!!_"

Static danced around his muscles as he reared his good arm back, and then thrust a golden lightning bolt at the man clad in fiery red and orange. "Here goes." Holding up both arms, Goku left himself wide open, allowing the bolt to slam into his chest. Smoke devoured his lean form as the golden light began to subside.

The small band waited as the smoke drifted away; it was not surprise to see that Goku was still standing. He was completely unharmed.

"NO WAY!!!" Nappa practically screamed his thoughts. He was losing his mind over the thought of being defeated by a low-class wretch like Goku. "TAKE THIS!!!" Just as he was about to unleash another attack, Goku flew up behind him. Clasping his hands together, he brought his fists down on Nappa's skull, sending him soaring back to the ground.

While Nappa was in the air, Goku dropped to the ground and slid towards the boulder his opponent was bound to hit. "That was for Piccolo! And this is for Yamcha!" He brought his foot up, kicking the bigger Saiyan towards another peak. He performed a back-flip, landing on the ground gracefully while Nappa's landing destroyed another plateau.

"I can't believe we're gonna win!" Krillin cried. He, Roxas, and Gohan were eating the scene up like excited children.

There was a pregnant pause. A few seconds later, the rubble began to quake. Nappa appeared with a mighty roar, sending debris everywhere as he made his entrance.

He scooped a rock up and threw it the stronger man; it was like watching a child throw a tantrum. "I HATE YOU!!!"

"No, your just a sore loser," the more mature male of the two replied in a serious tone, "your not used to fighting someone stronger then you."

This insinuation only added fuel to the bloodthirsty flames, "YOUR NOT STRONGER THEN ME!!! WE TESTED YOUR STRENGTH WHEN YOU WERE A BABY; YOU A THIRD-CLASS! I'M A SAIYAN ELITE YOU LOW-CLASS _TRASH!_" he began stomping towards Goku, bent on tearing him in half.

"Nappa calm down!" Vegeta called from the sidelines. He was annoyed with his weak minded partner. "How do you expect to win the battle if you can't even see straight? Now settle down!"

The man stood there grunting and growling for a moment before his breathing returned to normal. Grinning, he whipped some blood from his lips, "'Kay Kakarrott, time for round two. Sure you got lucky last time, but I'll beat 'ya this time." He waited for his enemy to respond.

"Ready when you are." Suspense ate away at the spectator's minds as they waited for the fighters to begin. A breeze danced through Goku's hair; he was not about to attack before his opponent.

The ground began to shake as Nappa charged his ki. His boots dug into the ground while his voice echoed throughout the valley. Golden light devoured his muscular form once more. He fired one blast, blowing up a handful of peaks; but he missed his target. Goku flew away from the big Saiyan, who turn took chase. The glowing form that was Nappa exchanged powerful blow after devastating blow with the low-class Saiyan. It was not long before his knuckles grazed the younger man's chin.

"Take this!" opening his mouth, he generated an azure colored beam. The light flew at Goku, who parried it with a quick kamehameha wave. The two struggled for a moment before creating a blindingly bright explosion. The beings below covered their eyes as they waited to see the result. To Nappa's surprise, Goku was unharmed once more.

He unfolded his arms and legs, looking a little troubled, "Any closer and I would'a been history."

"N-no way…_nobody _has ever survived that attack!" He was running out of attacks; it was obvious who the greater fighter was.

"That's enough!"

The pair looked downward, finding a displeased Vegeta waiting for them. "Nappa, come down here! You're finished!"

"What!?" he glared at his prince hatefully. The man was always a spoiled brat, and Nappa was getting sick of kissing up to him. He always disliked Vegeta with a passion.

The arrogant prince was standing below him, arms crossed, acting as though he were above him, "Don't look at me like that! You've embarrassed us long enough."

Krillin was standing in front of Roxas and Gohan defensively, "This other guy…I don't want to see what he can do."

"Dad…you can do it!" Gohan whimpered from behind the adults. Roxas was crouching over him, acting as a living shield.

Vegeta's glare softened into a smirk, "It's my turn, now come down here," he knew that he was going to have his way. No-one would even dare to think about denying the Saiyan prince. Just as he expected, Nappa gave in.

"Fine…but I'll have you know that Vegeta is the strongest of them all. Too bad I can't help 'em finish you off," he began lowering himself to the ground, "Now what can I do for fun?" his eyes scanned the ground below, coming to rest on a certain trio, "I know!"

Without another warning, he flew at the group of three, arm raised.

Goku caught on to what he was planning to do, "No! Krillin, Gohan, Zelena, RUN!" But they were too frightened to move. Roxas's body went slack, causing Gohan to support her. The others guessed that she fainted from exhaustion and fear. Krillin moved to stand in front of the child and unconscious woman while Goku flew after the attacking Saiyan. He opened his mouth as he prepared another powerful blast.

Just as he was about to fire the beam, the female Saiyan break free from both Gohan and Krillin, and flew at the burly male with incredible speed.

Her fist connected with his gut, knocking the air out of him. Moving around, she brought her heel on his back, earning a sickening snap as his spine broke in half.

Goku skidded to a halt, surprised by her sudden outburst. Using one hand, she carried Nappa to the ground. With ease she tossed the man so that he landed directly in front of Vegeta. Roxas held up her hands, gazing at them with surprise.

She looked to the others for help, "Did…did I do that?"

"Y-yeah!" Krillin nodded his head quickly, just as surprised by her outburst as the others. He was almost afraid that she transformed into that strange Zelena woman.

Goku smiled at his cousin, "Wow Zelena, your pretty strong," but then his smile faded, "so how were you getting beat so easily?"

"Uh…well," she looked from her male cousin to her newfound friends, "before I fell asleep, we were getting beat pretty badly. And then, when I woke up…" she gulped, regretting even mentioning it, "…I was standing over Teacher…and he was dead…" she blinked, looking to her friends for aid, "…why was I standing when I fell asleep near a rock? And what the heck was up my leg and shoulder healing so fast?"

Krillin could not offer the baffled woman any advice, "I don't know. I was surprise to see you standing too; guess you're a fast healer, huh?"

"Guess so…" she was still gazing at her hands; it was difficult to accept her new power.

The little man tried to lighten the mood, laughing lightly, "But you beat that guy pretty bad; I don't think he's getting up."

Her face fell, "Please don't remind me…your making me feel guilty for doing it," she sighed, "I mean, I just heard say that he can't feel his legs. That means he's paralyzed because I broke his spine!"

"It's alright," Goku assured her in a calm voice, "he left you no choice," he turned his attention back to the Saiyans, "I suggest you leave. Your partner is in no condition to fight anymore.

"So Goku," the little bald man quickly changed the subject, "what was that 'Kaio-ken' you mentioned a while ago?"

He smiled at his friend; it was always a pleasure explaining unknown moves for some reason, "The Kai-ken attack is a massive upsurge of energy. It heightens everything from power to speed; even hearing and vision improve dramatically! You sorta become a 'super-self', but you can only sustain it for a short period of time."

"That's freaking awesome!" now the bald human was excited, "do you think you'll be able to teach me a move like that sometime huh could 'ya!?" He was speaking in one breath and was forced to gasp for air when he was finished.

He chuckled, "Maybe."

But one thing troubled Roxas. "So why didn't you use that Kaio-ken in the first place, Goku?" It was a good question. "With that attack, you would've beaten Nappa without breaking a sweat."

"Yeah your right," he looked to the others, "I could have. But the dramatic increase might destroy my body when I activate it."

Her eyes widened, "Really? But…then why use it at all if it'll kill you?"

"Well…hm?" The band of four paused in their conversation, switching their attention to the enemy Saiyans.

Nappa was holding his good hand up, begging for his partner to aid him. "Take me hand…please…I can't get up."

With a cold expression, Vegeta gripped his waiting palm. The burly male breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"No problem," a cruel smirk curled at the corners of his lips, "it's the least I could do." Giving a quick chuckle, with very little effort, Vegeta swung the bigger Saiyan into the air.

Nappa cried out as he flew through the air, his upper body aching. "Maybe you won't be such a disappointment when you're dead!" Charing his ki, Vegeta fired a powerful ivory colored blast at his partner.

"NO! PLEASE DON'T DO IT VEGETA!!! I'M BEGGING YOU!!!" But his pleas went unheard.

Vegeta cackled as his weakling of a general screamed for mercy. Years passed and now he could finally be rid of the annoying pest. With a final cry, Nappa was blown apart. There was nothing left when the light faded into the abyss. The tremendous force exerted by the short Saiyan caused plateaus to break apart; the band of four was forced to shield themselves from the oncoming debris. One wave flew at the group, forcing Goku to scoop Gohan and Krillin into his arms while he and Roxas ascended into the sky.

As the smoke cleared, the found that Vegeta was unharmed, which was not surprising considering that it was his own attack.

"I don't…believe it," Krillin gawked, "he obliterated his own teammate!"

Roxas narrowed her eyes, "You heartless bastard."

"Gohan…Krillin…Zelena…I want you all to go home, understood?"

"But why?" Gohan whined. He was unwilling to leave his father behind. "I can't leave you alone with that guy! He'll…"

"Come on Gohan," Krillin narrowed his eyes at the child, "We have to go."

"But why? Why should I leave…?"

He was quick to answer the boy's questions, "Because he could use any one of us as a hostage to get at your dad! It'll be best if we just left and gave him the time he needs to beat him, okay?"

"Uh…" he looked upwards at his father, "…Daddy, is that true?"

"Yes Gohan. I'll be fine on my own."

He sighed, giving into his parent's wishes, "Alright…whatever you say." He respected his father far too much to disobey him.

"And Goku," Krillin decided to add before they left, "don't even think about grabbing his tail. We already tried that," Goku was surprised to hear this, "yeah 'ya see, Piccolo grabbed the big guy's tail and got his butt whooped for it," he sighed, shaking his head a little, "we all fought so hard…and yet…we just weren't strong enough to cut the chase."

Now he was determined to win the battle. Goku fixed Vegeta with a narrowed gaze; he refused to lose. "Then its up to me, isn't it?"

"Please come home Daddy." Gohan whispered quietly.

He gave his son a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, I'll come back."

"Yeah, nothing can stop your dad!" Roxas added. The boy was on the brink of tears.

"You can say your goodbyes as many times as you want, but you're still going to die."

She fixed the impatient Saiyan with a harsh glare, "Shut-up! Nobody cares to hear you thoughts on the matter."

Tears slid from Gohan's eyes at the thought of losing his father again. "Don't worry son," he pat his child's head, "hey, I bet your moms at Master Roshi's. How about you stop by there?"

"M-hm…" he turned a tearful gaze on his father, "…bye, Daddy." Roxas took his head, and led the little boy away alongside the short human male.

Looking at Vegeta, Goku decided to begin the battle, "I'm ready fight, but let's go to a better place first."

"Just lead the way."

Goku sped off towards the sunset with the ruthless Saiyan following closely behind…

**Yes it's a very short chapter. But the next one will be longer. Please review and I shall update soon… **


	22. Chapter 22

**And here is the next chapter. Thank-you for reviewing. There will be changes to this fight, so it won't be the same as it was in the original. Hope you enjoy… **

**Warning: for blood, violence, and nudity in this chapter. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 21: Merciful **

"_Human beings, who are almost unique in_

_Having the ability to learn from the_

_Experience of others, _

_Are also remarkable for their apparent _

_Disinclination to do so_."

-Douglas Adams

The whipped around her body as Roxas flew across the wide valley. Krillin and Gohan were on either side of her. The moment was tense. The trio knew all to well what would happen if Goku were to fail. It was strange for her to be flying away from the valley after living in the unforgivable wilderness with not a soul but the starving beasts and a little boy for an entire year. The female Saiyan was nervous about seeing the rest of the world. There were so many questions running through her mind as she followed the two males to their new destination. She was still adjusting to the fact that her teacher was dead; not only that, but she witnessed the deaths of three other humans, all of whom had been friends of this mysterious Goku.

Although she did not know him personally, she knew that it was safe to leave the fate of this planet in his hands. Gohan spoke so fondly of him; he told her about his appearance, his personality, and what life had been like before his uncle came to Earth.

Apparently, she met both Gohan and Goku before she awoke in that field with the large space ship and the man with hair that resembled a porcupine. But she could not remember where or when.

_And who was that spikey haired guy? He looked really familiar. _She furrowed her eyebrows; amnesia was a curse. _Maybe I've met him before. I mean, we're both Saiyans. But where? And when? Ugh…hey, maybe I can ask Goku later after he beats this guy…but…if that guy is familiar then…and he said that he had all of the answers that I would need. Would killing him be a good idea? _

Her body slowed to a stop. She was so lost in her thoughts; she had not noticed when Krillin and Gohan returned to her side after having discovered that she was lagging behind.

"Roxas?" the bald human remembered that she preferred this name, although the Saiyans knew her as 'Zelena', and for a short time she refereed to herself as such. The woman was an enigma; just like her cousin. "Are you okay?"

She jumped when he tapped her shoulder. Jerking her head in his direction, she regained her hold on reality, and nodded her head slowly, "Uh, yeah…fine."

"You don't look fine to me." Gohan was worried for her. He came to see Roxas as an older sister over the year; he would not know what to do with himself should something happen to her.

It was impossible for the woman to hide her emotions from the hybrid. He knew her all too well. She sighed before deciding to speak with them, "Hey guys…is killing that Saiyan the right thing to do?"

Krillin and Gohan were left speechless by her question. One would think that she would not have any qualms considered that he cheered his ally on as he slaughtered their friends, and then even killed his own partner. The man was worse then a monster; there was not a word in the English language that could describe his cruelty.

The man clad in orange was the first to break the silence, "Of course it is," he paused, not entirely sure how he would word his response, "I mean, he killed all of our friends."

"Actually it was his partner…who he killed," Roxas corrected him, but then continued, "but he did kill his own ally for a stupid reason, so I guess he was just as bad. But don't you remember what he told me? He has so much information on my past. So would…"

Krillin's face fell with disbelief, "And you believed him?" He choked.

"Well yeah…" she tried to continue, but he cut in once more.

"Roxas, for all we know, he was just saying that to get you to join his side!"

"But Krillin, remember what happened when Roxas was acting all weird?" Gohan interjected.

He paused, turning his gaze on the boy, "Huh?" He paused, allowing himself a moment, before recalling the Saiyan's words. "Oh yeah."

The female remained oblivious to his realization, "Hm?"

Krillin hesitated; he glanced at Gohan before deciding to relay the events that had transpired after the three hour break. "Okay, when you woke-up after the three hours were up, you were completely different. Your wounds were healed, and he wouldn't talk for a while. But when that big guy was going to attack, you went at him like you'd been fighting your entire life. I mean seriously, you were wild! First you made him look like an idiot and started showing off, and then you said your name was 'Zelena' even though you had been contradicting that earlier, and then you broke his arm and kicked his butt again! It was amazing! And then that short guy told us about another set of dragon balls near someplace called Ramek…"

"Namek." Gohan corrected.

He rolled his eyes, "Whatever…anyway, he started talking about the 'Ghost' of Namek or something, and he said that he suspects that it was you. And then you said that you needed Piccolo for something because he was a 'Namekian'. But you never specified what. And then when Piccolo you died you reverted back to the way you are now. And then you did another display of strength and now your normal."

She already knew about the latter of his explanation; it was the first half that was confusing her. She did not remember a word of it.

"I did all of that? And what would I want with a 'Namekian'?" she asked, blinking in confusion.

Krillin shrugged, "No idea. But it might have something to do with the dragon balls, because they said that the Namekians are the ones who created them."

An idea came to mind. "So…I already knew that I was from outer space…so does that mean I come from a place called 'Namek'?" her index finger began stroking her chin in thought, "But I'm not sure if Saiyans originate from that place."

There was a short pause as their brains clicked to life. Becoming fed up with the entire ordeal, Krillin decided that it was time for the conversation to end, "Come on, let's go to Kame House for now. I'm sure we'll figure everything out sooner or later."

"But…" her words faded as she gazed at the pair of males. Sighing, she gave in, "…okay."

Using their ki, the three continued their journey across the large valley…

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Goku's eyes continued to scan the ground below; the fearsome Saiyan followed closely behind, a devious smirk plastered across his handsome face. They flew over the vast valley; his plan was to take the monster as far from civilization as possible. He was trying to give the others a head start back to Roshi's as well. It was not long before the valley was replaced with a deserted wasteland. Deciding that this place was the best choice possible, Goku dropped to the ground. Vegeta landed on a boulder a few feet higher then his opponent.

He wore a devious smirk as he spoke, "Kakarrott," there was a short pause as the wind whirled to life, "I have a proposition for you. Now I'll only give you the offer once, so listen carefully. I, Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans will offer you, Kakarrott, the opportunity to stand by me in my conquest. I could use a good man after Nappa's…_unfortunate_ demise."

"Think on it: _nothing_ would be out of your reach! I'll even spare that woman if you'd like. Well, what do you say, Kakarrott?"

The wind danced through his hair and clothes as he spoke, "I have everything I need right here. So no thanks," the prince was disappointed and surprised to hear this, "besides, I saw how you treat your partners; not very much job security, is there?"

"Alright then…" it was a shame to put an end to such a powerful Saiyan. He might be able to convince Zelena to accept his offer later; but in the mean time, Vegeta slid into his battle stance, "…don't say I didn't warn you."

The males met each other's gaze; both were determined to come out of this fight victorious. As soon as a rock broke off in the distance, Goku charged at his enemy. Vegeta evaded his fist, bringing his own to meet the other male. But Goku blocked it with his knuckles. Before long, the two were blocking and attacking, moving faster then the untrained eye could follow.

Vegeta ricocheted off of a peak or two with the low-class Saiyan following behind. He paused, jerked around, and kneed Goku in the stomach, sending him flying.

The latter recovered from the attack quickly enough and returned to his opponent. Once again they broke into a flurry of fists and kicks; neither could land a hit on the other.

Finally, Vegeta's fist slipped past Goku's arm and connected with his face, disorienting him. He took his chance and began pummeling the young male while delivering a swift kick to the stomach. "Say goodbye!" he brought his fists up and slammed them against the back of Goku's head, sending the other man spiraling towards the ground. He came to a stop on a ledge higher then the boulder Goku landed on. A prince should always be the one looking down on his enemy.

_He's pretty good. But I'm still better. _"What's wrong? I was hoping for a more entertaining show."

"Don't worry; you'll get one," Goku's body flashed a light crimson as he activated his Kai-ken technique; his power increased greatly. He could smell and hear things from a distance, and his strength and speed intensified. "Kai-ken times one!" he thrust his palm out, using an invisible blast to destroy the ledge Vegeta was on. The latter managed to dodge the assault before it could connect with the intended target.

Soaring upwards, his fist rammed into the prince's cheek. Moving a little lower, he began pounding on the man's abdomen. A final punch was all he needed to send him flying; but he was not finished yet. Goku prepared to go in and snap Vegeta's spine just as Roxas had done to the burly Saiyan, but the latter recovered and retaliated with a kick to the taller man's jaw.

"Your Kaio-ken attack is an interesting little tool, but I've encountered far worse," he licked the crimson liquid flowing from his lips, "is that all you've got?"

Surprisingly, Goku chuckled at the predicament, "You know what's weird? I kind of like the challenge."

"So that it's? That was your best?" Vegeta's fingers curled into fists, "Well then I have some news for you. You may be stronger then every fool on this planet, but even at your peak you will never be able to surpass me."

Goku accepted his challenge without a moment's hesitation, "Wanna bet?"

"There is no need to wager on the matter," the prince was a little frustrated with the man's confidence, "Allow me to demonstrate the _true _power of a Saiyan elite!"

A growl combined with an insane cackle escaped the prince as he charged his ki. Unfriendly clouds churned in the sky; the energy was beginning to affect their environment. Debris and rock ascended into the darkened sky; the air stung the raven haired Saiyan's flesh. Azure blue light made of energy licked at the man clad in blue, white, and gold armor as it devoured his body, forming a spherical shield. Inside of the partially translucent orb, Vegeta's body flashed so brightly that he appeared to be whiter then a ghost. The ki mixed together, forming into a golden electric cloak. The wind picked up in pace as he cried out. A whirlwind of energy surged throughout the desert, making it impossible for Goku to hold his ground.

Finally, just as quickly as it began, everything came to end. A soothing calm ensued. Yet it was unnerving at the same time.

"You're finished, Kakarrott."

Goku had just enough time to face his opponent before the Saiyan prince lunged at him, punching him in the nose with his ivory covered knuckles. His strength increased, so a simple punch was far more painful then before. Soaring downwards, Vegeta dug his elbow into the younger man's stomach, sending him even lower to the ground. Moving like a phantom, he vanished from sight. Goku landed on his feet and frantically looked around; the shorter man was nowhere to be found.

"What's wrong? Can't find me?"

Vegeta delivered a swift kick to his back, sending Goku soaring across the desert once more.

The younger male performed a front flip and hopped along a rugged plateau, landing on the top. He massaged his throbbing spine. _Where'd he go? _His instincts told him to look up. He followed them just in time to catch the older male tossing a fireball in his direction.

"Kaio-ken times two!" Goku shouted, charging his ki as he ascended into the sky.

Vegeta caught on to him and quickly launched another fireball in his direction. Goku narrowly avoided the energy-made attack; it managed to strike his right arm and a good portion of his chest and face. Blood slid down his cheeks and forehead; his arm and chest was in the same condition.

The prince was impressed by his younger opponent. "How nimble." Goku dropped to the ground, eyes narrowed in frustration. _His power is extremely high. I need to think of something fast! _He tore the remainder of his navy blue weighted shirt and his bright orange over shirt off, tossing it to the wind.

_Guess there's no other option. Sorry King Kai. _"What's wrong Kakarrott? What happened to your fighting spirit?" Vegeta threw his head back, laughing, "Oh I'm sorry, I keep forgetting that you're an Earthling now. You don't even have a tail, do you? What, did they get you while you were asleep? I can see why you would rather live a life on Earth then join me on the hunt. If we still had a home planet, you'd be a laughing stock there."

_Okay…let's see what I can do. _Closing his eyes, Goku ignored the other man's taunts and began to charge his ki. His muscles increased, causing his strength to do so as well. His increased speed and senses were an added bonus. A crimson aura exploded around his body. "Here goes nothing! Kaio-ken attack times three!"

Smoke drifted from the ground where Goku stood. Vegeta's eyes widened with surprise as he began to notice his opponent's transformation. A tremor shot through the ground, cracking the peak that Vegeta was standing on. It shattered like glass, causing the Saiyan to retreat into the sky. He glanced back at his opponent; what he found waiting for him was a glowing, scarlet colored Goku and his reared fist.

"Huh…?" the younger man's knuckles collided with his cheek in the next second, sending Vegeta soaring.

A flash of red flew over the disoriented Saiyan and brought his feet upwards, kicking Vegeta in the spine and propelling him higher into the air. He caught himself, forcing his body to come to a stop. Placing his open palms together, the Saiyan prince powered a ki beam, only to find his target disappearing from his line of fire. His eyes followed the crimson trail left by his enemy; he tossed the beam at him, but Goku seemed to evaporate into the air. He materialized right in front of Vegeta; taking the short prince by surprise, Goku gave him a solid kick to the face, once again propelling him through the air.

The lean Saiyan male broke through a pair of plateaus before being crammed in the center of a large peak. A deep crater was the result of his landing.

Goku could hear his enraged growling as they echoed from within the darkness.

Just as he was planning to go in after him, Vegeta blew the plateau to pieces. Smoke whirled around his body as he screamed in rage.

Goku sped around him, evading his punch, and kicked him in the back. Vegeta recovered almost instantly; enshrouding his fist with silver light, he lunged at the crimson colored male. Just as he was about to hit, Goku ducked down and socked him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.

Vegeta doubled over, grasping his stomach as he coughed up a mix of saliva and blood. He recoiled, eyes wide with disbelief.

He coughed as he tried to catch his breath. He glared at Goku with an expression filled to the brim with hatred and blind fury. The twenty-three-year-old could even see a hint of humiliation in the dark dephs of his irises.

Vegeta returned to his full height. Throwing his fists forward, they collided with Goku's palms. Now locked in combat, he desperately ripped his hands away, leapt into the air, and brought them together into a conjoined fist. As Vegeta brought his intertwined fingers downward, Goku retaliated by ramming his forehead against Vegeta's, disorienting him again. Wrapping one arm around his waist, he plowed one fist after another into the brunette; blood covered his knuckles and Vegeta's face as each hit landed without fail.

His knee connected with the injured Saiyan's spine, sending him straight into the younger man's waiting knuckles as he knocked him back to his knee. A flurry of kicks and punches ensued before Goku grabbed the shorter Saiyan and threw him against another ridge, breaking at least two to three of his ribs in the process.

Debris flew around him as he released Vegeta, falling to the ground below.

He watched as the man attempted to hoist himself up with his arms, only to topple to ground like a wounded dog, clutching his broken ribs while gasping in agony.

He shook his head at the stubborn Saiyan. "He's still trying to fight? Jeez…" A sudden jolt in his right arm caused Goku to yelp in pain. _Aw crap, I think my bodies about to give up on me. Please hold on a little longer. _

Vegeta managed to climb to his feet, despite the fact that his body felt as though he had just survived a trip through a shredder. Now he was at his breaking point; he could not take any more of this humiliation.

"THAT'S IT!!!" he whipped some blood from his face; just the sight of his own blood made his temper flare out of control. "I'll show him…" he growled, "…I'll show them all! I'll tear this planet apart until it's been reduced to nothing but ashes!"

Vegeta bellowed like a lion blinded with fury. "KAKARROTT!!! LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN DODGE THIS NEXT ATTACK! BUT EVEN IF YOU DO, EVERYONE ON THE ENTIRE PLANET WILL DIE!!!" Purple colored ki devoured his entire body.

He shot into the sky like a purple-colored missile, coming to a stop when he was nearly a mile away from the intended target.

Pulling his opened palms back, the purple aura encircled him like lightning, "THE CHOICE IS YOURS, KAKARROT! BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER EITHER WAY; YOU'LL PERISH NO MATTER WHAT YOUR DECISION IS!" He cackled as though he had completely lost his mind.

"Crap…I don't have enough time…but if I don't act now…" he did not want to imagine the result.

Crimson colored electricity sparked around Goku's body as he charged his next attack, "Kaio-ken times three!"

_Wonder how he likes the kamehameha wave. _He reared his hands back after placing his wrists together, aiming his open palms towards the man cloaked in purple static that seemed to take on a life of its own. "_**Kame,**_" debris ascended into the air as their ki flooded the desert around them. Black electricity joined with purple, intensifying the wild aura. "_**Hame,**_"

"NOW KAKARROTT! PREPARE TO PERISH ALONG WITH THIS GODFORSAKEN PLANET!!!" his ki began to twist and churn as Vegeta prepared to launch his attack, "_**Galick Gun…FIRE!!!**_"

"_**HAAAAAA!!!**_"

Azure colored light mixed with the color of a December snowfall shot from Goku's hands and he threw his arms into the air. A purple beam of light descended upon the taller yet younger man. Rocks was propelled into the air and torn apart as the Kamehameha wave ripped through the air. The two beams collided, created a translucent orb in the center of the two Saiyans. Both men struggled to regain control over the other, pushing with all of their might.

The sheer force created by the attack began to rip the wasteland to pieces. Goku screamed as he tried to overpower Vegeta's Galick Gun.

His veins seemed to pop out of his arms as he endured the might of the Saiyan elite. But it was no use; Vegeta was pushing back, tearing away at the ground below the man.

_I have to go further. _"KAIO-KEN TIMES FOUR!!!" That was the boost Goku needed to get ahead. His strength increased dramatically; he overpowered Vegeta within seconds after activating it. Vegeta's screams echoed around the wasteland as he was devoured by his own Galick Gun along with Goku's Kamehameha wave. A ball of energy was sent soaring towards the heavens with the Saiyan elite in the center of it all.

The sky returned to a calm azure blue. Debris that was once defying the laws of gravity fell to the ground.

Goku's body throbbed with pain as he fell to his knees, gasping for air. He was too sore to move…

Meanwhile, soaring through the clouds, Vegeta was still clinging to the Kamehameha wave. He was in too much pain to scream anymore. Using every ounce of his strength, he shoved off, freeing himself of the wretched beam. His tail unwrapped itself from his waist, swishing angry.

Vegeta gave a frustrated scream. "WHY MUST HE HAVE THE POWER TO SURPASS ME!? I'M THE PRINCE OF _ALL _SAIYANS! HE SHOULD BE KNEELING BEFORE ME! BEGGING FOR HIS PATHETIC, WORTHLESS LIFE!" he gasped for air in an attempt to cool off, trying to think of something that he has not tried.

An idea came to mind almost immediately; Vegeta was always a bright for a Saiyan. "Wait a minute…Kakarrott doesn't have tail…" a grin fitting for a man who had given his mind to insanity split his jaw, "…which means that he cannot transform. Fine, all I need to do is transform into the Great Ape and crush him where he stands!"

He glanced back and forth, searching for the moon. It was nowhere to be found. How strange.

"It's ridiculous, being forced to transform into a being that could level civilizations to destroy one insignificant insect," He grumbled to himself. "All I need is for the light of the moon for the change to transpire…but where is it? The moon should have come out by now." He took off in search of the object of his desire, making sure to stay hidden behind the clouds.

Green grass and a city appeared beneath him, and soon he came to an ocean before his frustration reached its peak.

He frantically searched for the lunar orb, grumbling to himself as he did, "Where is it? It's a moon; it's not like someone can just hide it or something!"

That is when the truth dawned on him. "There's only one thing this could mean…someone on this damn planet was intelligent enough to remove the moon before our arrival. But that doesn't matter…we Saiyans have developed a way to overcome this little problem." He jerked around and returned to the desert, his plan fully formed inside of his mind.

It was not long before he dropped to the ground, standing in front of an exhausted Goku. "Smart move, removing the moon Kakarrott, but you won't defeat me so easily."

"The moon? What're you talking about?" Goku blinked in confusion; now he was worried by the elite's babbling. Maybe he finally lost his mind?

He opened his hand, "Don't play stupid with me, Kakarrott. Your efforts were in vain seeing as I don't need the moon to complete the transformation. The moon simply reflects the rays of the sun, creating a new energy known as 'Blutz Waves'. These waves cause the transformation; not the moonlight itself. Even though moonlight is a natural source of the Blutz Waves, it is not the only source. We Saiyans realized that we were at the mercy of the moonlight on every planet we were on. It reduced our power greatly, until we discovered a way to artificially create our own moonlight,"

An ivory colored orb formed in his open palm. His cackle reminded Goku of a mad scientist, "By channeling our energy through our cells and combining the energy of the atmosphere, we can make a synthetic moon complete with Blutz Waves at any time, day or night! She may have been useless in battle, but Adelle was a brilliant scientist!"

He threw the orb into the air. It vanished from sight within seconds of being released. "Bare witness to the Great Ape, Kakarrott! Now this planet will feel my wrath!" His fingers curled into his palm, "Now, let there be light!"

A ball of ivory light resembling the moon exploded in midair.

Vegeta breathed a sigh of relief as soon as the fake moon was born. His irises changed a bright pink and then rolled to the back of his head. The man's canines sharpened into snow white fangs. His heartbeat echoed across the desert, signifying his change into the Great Ape…

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A surge of power struck Roxas like a sharp slap to the face. She skidded to a stop and turned to face the source. First there was the sun, and now there was a strange ivory orb.

She, Krillin, and Gohan were on the edge of the valley. During their journey to Kame House, an assortment of things occurred. The weather changed from sunny and bright to dark and windy several times. It was obvious what the cause was. But now, Roxas could hear her instincts as they screamed for her to follow the light.

"I think Goku needs us." She deadpanned.

Krillin nodded his head, "Same," he glanced in Gohan's direction, "can you feel it too?"

He nodded, "M-hm. My dad needs us."

"Then let's go!" The trio sped off in the direction of the light.

Roxas increased the amount of ki she was using to hold herself in the air to speed up. The scenery changed swiftly as they made their way towards Goku and the Saiyan prince. The valley seemed to melt into a deserted wasteland. The temperature heated drastically.

An explosion went off a mile or two ahead of them.

"Hey, look over there!" Krillin called, "Isn't that blast where Goku's supposed to be?"

_Yeah…it is. _"Hurry Krillin! We don't have any time to waste!" Gohan urged, increasing his pace.

Roxas could feel one of the two power levels fading. _Don't tell me…! _"My daddy's in trouble!"

"I know!" she shouted back to the boy, feeling more desperate to come to Goku's aid.

The sun was beginning to set in the distance, but the new source of light continued to hang high in the sky. Roxas could vaguely hear a scream of anguish in the distance. It was growing louder.

"The skies so bright Krillin," Gohan looked at the orb, "what's…what the!?"

It was not long before they found a horrendous being waiting for them. Roxas's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when she realized what it was. It was a giant dark brown ape with crimson eyes; the same thing Gohan transformed into. The difference being that the this ape was wearing the same armor as the Saiyan prince; although it was battle worn. It was squeezing the life out of Goku with its hands.

The trio dropped to the ground and began running towards the fearsome beast. _But how did he transform? Teacher destroyed the moon! _She looked towards the sky and then back to their target. _Of course! That thing…_he _must have something to do with it. That means I probably shouldn't look at it for more a nanosecond. _

She skidded to a halt when an unknown man leapt in her way. He was a squat, obese human male with wild long black hair. He wore a light orange, sleeveless robe with a black sash tied around his waist; dark blue bands wrapped around his wrists. He was even equipped with a sword. Sandals acted as his footwear. Startled by his sudden appearance, Roxas punched him in the nose.

"OW!" he glared at her fiercely, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?"

Krillin leapt in front of her before she could deliver another hit. He turned to the chubby man, holding one finger to his lips, "Shut-up!" he whispered, "Do you _want _that guy to hear us?"

"No," he groaned, "but why'd she go and hit me? I was just trying to warn you guys to stay away!"

"How am I supposed to know that?" she asked, trying to justify her attack on the unknown male, "I don't even know you."

The bald human sighed, "Roxas, this is Yajirobe. Yajirobe this is Roxas," he turned his attention back to the man, "so why're you trying to warn us?"

"You guys really need to turn back; do you honestly think that you can beat that monster?"

"But we've gotta help Goku!" Krillin countered.

He placed his hands on his hips, "And how're you planning to do that?"

"There's only one way," Krillin was about to speak, but Roxas beat him to the chase, "if we cut off his tail then he'll change back."

"His tail?"

Gohan seemed to be confused Of course, he could not recall his own experiences with his past transformations. "But how?"

Krillin was the first to formulate a plan, "You three go out there and get his attention while I sneak up behind him. I only need a few seconds. I know it's a risk, but unless you've got better ideas, then its our only hope. C'mon!"

"Right!" Roxas and Gohan said in unison as they ascended into the sky.

Yajirobe, however, remained on the ground. He refused to fight the Saiyan demon. Instead, he opted to hop in his car, which was hidden, and drive away.

Once hidden by the rocks, Roxas fired a blast at the large ape.

"_Huh?_" his voice was deep and rugged, like a sharp rock on a chalkboard, "_whose_ _there?_" another beam flashed by his eyes, "_I know your there! Where are you?_"

"Right here!"

Both Gohan and Roxas appeared on a small boulder. They were ready for him. "Put my dad down right now!"

"_Oh, its just you,_" he scoffed, "_sure I'll put your father down. It might be one piece at a time but I'll definitely put him down,_" he closed his fingers over Goku's head, adding pressure as he did, "_now your fathers finished!_"

"_You should be proud of him. I rarely ever transform to win a battle. Its too bad that the two of us couldn't see eye-to-eye._" At that moment, the ape hopped into the air, avoiding a golden disk made up of ki. Krillin missed.

Instead, the disk sliced through the pillar Gohan and Roxas were perched on top of. Landed safely on the plate, although it was shorter then before.

The ape glanced behind himself, chuckling, "_Did you think you could trick me little man? Honestly, I knew what you trying to pull as soon as I saw the kid and that woman. Too bad there won't be a next time; as soon as I'm finished with Kakarrott, your next!_"

He closed his fist around Goku. Roxas could hear his muffled screams of pain. "STOP IT! LET GO! PUT MY DADDY DOWN!!!"

"_Sorry kid, but your in no position to be giving me orders._" He began stomping towards the pair.

Gohan backed away until Roxas jumped in front of him. "STAY BACK!" she screamed. "OR ELSE…!"

"_Or else you'll what? Scream until my…ACK!_" He choked on the last part of the sentence.

Roxas and Gohan gazed up at him, curious about his shocked his expression. A loud thud caught their attention. They looked to the ground; the Saiyan's tail was lying in the dirt. Blood spurt from where the tail had been severed, pouring down the back of his pants. Slowly, the ape shrunk back into the man he had been before. He was beaten and bloody, gasping from the pain of his losing his tail.

The female Saiyan blinked, "Uh…how did that happen?"

"I…I don't know." The little boy replied. Goku was lying on the ground; he was in worse condition then his opponent.

_Well that's a relief. _"Your…all…going…to…PAY!!!" a deep, male voice shouted. _Okay maybe not. _

Vegeta glared at Krillin, who was standing on a ledge across from Gohan and Roxas, "You've disgraced me for the final time! Your going to learn a new definition for the word 'pain'!"

"But…but I thought cutting off his tail would stop him! Now he's just angrier!" Gohan whimpered.

_This guy just doesn't know when to give up, does he? _Just when Krillin appeared to be the target, Vegeta jerked around and flew at Gohan. The female took a moment to register thee action when he kicked the little boy several feet away from her. She blinked, and looked to see him. Turning around, she found the man's fist plowing into her own face and knocking her back.

"NO!" Krillin tried to save them, but Vegeta simply kicked him back to the platform he had been on seconds ago.

He chuckled, "Be patient. You'll get your turn."

Roxas's heart rate increased as Gohan's screams echoed in her ears. She could hear Vegeta's taunts through the boy's cries. _Please…don't…we've worked so hard…I DON'T WANT TO DIE LIKE THIS!!! _Fresh ki seemed to fill her veins. Without warning, her body sat upright and her fist connected with the Saiyan's chin. Ducking to the ground, her foot rammed into his chest, causing him to drop Gohan shortly before another kick propelled him to the air.

Breathing heavily, an enraged Roxas ascended into the sky, hands curled into fists. Her speed increased as she flew at Vegeta. The man regained his senses just in time to block her fist.

He cackled, "It seems that I will be able to fulfill my promise of a one-on-one battle, now won't I?"

"Yeah and you're going to wish you didn't!" she hissed. Her other fist flew at him, only to be guarded against by his other hand. Bringing his head back, Vegeta's forehead slammed against her own, causing blood to spill down her face. Retaliating, she brought her knee upwards. Vegeta used his thigh to block her from her target.

He shook his head, as if speaking to a naughty child, "Now, now, we shouldn't be hitting too below the belt."

"Bitch!" she spat. Screaming to the heavens, she increased her ki quickly. This quick boost was all she needed to overpower the weary prince.

She tore her right hand free and placed it on the center of his face. Before he could pull away, she generated a pink ki beam, firing it point-blank. The blast sent Vegeta soaring backwards into a pillar of rock. He groaned as he fell to the ground. The poor man never made it. Soaring downwards, she drove her knee into his stomach, brought her intertwined fists down on his back, and then kneed him in the stomach once more. Pulling her leg high into the air, she performed a drop kick, earning a cry of pain from him.

Moving to the side, she delivered another powerful kick, sending him flying. Her speed increased as she seemed to teleport to the other side just in time to save him from plowing through a pair of jagged rocks. Using a swift kick to the stomach she sent him flying upwards. She followed, appearing behind him. She slammed her leg against his side, tossing him to the left. A pattern ensued with Roxas tossing him around as if he were a pinball.

Sadly for her, Vegeta regained his senses after the last punch. Ducking below, he evaded her next kick. Reaching up he grabbed her ankle, whirled around, and threw her against the rocky pillar. She screamed with pain as it shattered.

He threw her to the ground, where he quickly joined her. Once on the ground, he stomped on her throat, causing her to choke for oxygen.

"Aw, is that all you've got for me? Too bad," He said, mocking her, "You should have joined me when you had the chance! Now you, Kakarrott, that brat, and the bald bastard are all finished! And so is that unlucky bastard who cut my tail off!"

He kicked her in the side for effect. Leaping into the air, he dropped onto Goku's stomach, causing him to cough up blood.

He began kicking at the dying man, cackling, "I'm enjoying this more then I should!"

The prince jerked around and dropped kicked Roxas's stomach, causing her to hack up blood and saliva. He added a few swift kicks to the side before ramming his elbow into the center of her chest, cracking her sternum. Reaching down, he was about to grab her arm, but he was forced to a stop when a certain hybrid kicked him in the cheek.

Looking towards his side, he found Goku's son standing near the fallen female, an enraged expression on his face. His fingers curled into fists; his breathing was erratic, "LEAVE HER ALONE!!!"

Rushing forward, Gohan's fists collided with Vegeta's palms. The older male kicked him in the stomach, sending him soaring into the air.

The Saiyan prince followed Gohan; the little boy quickly regained himself, exploding into a ferocious mess of kicks and punches as soon as Vegeta was close enough.

Bringing his leg up, Vegeta slammed his heel against Gohan's head, sending the boy straight back to the ground.

The six-year-old sat up, gasping for air. He was already covered in bruises. _If my dad and Roxas couldn't beat 'em, then how am I supposed to do it? _Vegeta, in all of his beaten and bloodied glory, was standing only a few feet away.

Meanwhile, while Gohan was busy holding the mighty Saiyan off, Krillin took matters into his own hands. Goku gave him the energy to make use of the legendary Spirit Bomb, a massive orb created from the energy of others from around the planet. Goku attempted to use the Spirit Bomb against Vegeta's ape form, but he was not given enough time to craft it and then put it into use. And now that his body was too damaged to move, he was forced to give it to his childhood friend.

Now Krillin was standing on a ledge, holding the silver and ivory sphere tinted with blue in his hand. _This is as good a place as any. _

Gohan returned to his feet, ready to defend the Earth to his final breath.

Both the child and adult ascended into the sky. Moving faster then the eye could see, their fists collided, propelling each other further apart. The Saiyan prince shot a ki beam at Gohan, who managed to dodge it in the nick of time.

Gohan hit the ground and immediately held his hands up, "_**Masenko-HA!**_" he shot the same golden blast that Nappa managed to guard.

"Hah, that trick again?" Vegeta evaded by teleporting out of range.

_Where did he go? _The child glanced back and forth, his eyes catching the man just as he reappeared. _One more time. _He fired another Masenko blast at the adult; the end result was the same with Vegeta teleporting out of harm's way. Gohan repeated this; Vegeta dodged the attack in the same manner.

The Saiyan prince dropped to the ground, chuckling, "You know, your strength is surprising for a boy your age. Yes, you should be very proud. But unfortunately for you, your not strong enough to defeat me," he approached the child; from the looks of it, he was blind in one eye due to the constant damage it suffered from his battles with Goku, Roxas, and Gohan.

Krillin was still standing on the cliff, waiting for the right moment to throw the Spirit Bomb. If this failed, then they would all die. He needed to toss the ki-made attack at the right time. _Goku promised that I would know when the moment was right; I can't let him down! _

"It's time I put an end to this." Opening his arms wide, Vegeta shot a barrage of golden ki beams at the child.

Gohan fled for his life as the ruthless Saiyan tore at the ground where he stood, showing no mercy despite the fact that he was just a boy.

Finally he stopped, cornering Gohan against a tall plateau.

He took his chance and sprinted towards the boy, intent on ending his life. At that moment, Krillin threw the Spirit Bomb. "THAT WAS IT!"

The sound of his voice caused Vegeta to turn around. His eyes grew wide with surprise at the pressure caused by the bomb's presence as it was hurled towards him. _What is that thing!? _He leapt upwards, evading the Spirit Bomb by a few inches.

Instead, the bomb went straight for Gohan. The six-year-old child stood with fear, not sure what he should do.

_Gohan! _

He blinked. _Huh? Daddy? _

_Yes, it's me. Listen, you have to bounce it back. The Spirit Bomb won't hurt you if there isn't any evil in your heart. _

_B-but Dad, what if it doesn't work? _

_You have to trust me Gohan. Just bounce it back! _

The black-haired little boy gazed at the light sphere; although he was not sure if it would work, he extended his hands and closed his eyes. His entire body went cold as the orb ricocheted off of his palms and was sent hurling back at Vegeta. While the prince was focused on Krillin, he did not have enough time to catch the bomb before it could consume his entire body. Screams of pain echoed from within the sphere as it carried the sadistic Saiyan into the skies.

Gohan gazed at the sky with disbelief; he was amazed with the fact that he and Krillin managed to defeat the powerful Saiyan.

"Goku! Roxas!" The sound of the bald man's voice brought Gohan back to reality. Immediately, he and his father's friend returned to the Saiyan's sides, moving them both so that they were lying next to each other.

Gohan leaned over his father and second cousin, "Dad…Roxas…are you okay?"

"Uh-huh…but I'll probably be sore for a while." Goku groaned.

The female Saiyan glanced at him, "A while is an understatement." She ground out, wincing as her cracked sternum began to burn with pain.

"Well, I've gotta admit that I've seen you two look better." Krillin chuckled.

The raven-haired man gave a weak laugh; the action itself was painful, "Yeah…but it could be a lot worse…"

"Uh-huh, you could be that alien." As if on cue, the man in question rained down from the sky, hitting the ground like a sack of bricks.

His clothes were ripped, although in better condition then Goku's, and he was covered from head to toe in blood and dirt. His armor was still intact though, but there was a faint crack on the side from Roxas's assault. The ground cracked a little when he landed.

The redhead's eyes widened in disbelief, "Oh my…you've gotta be kidding me…!" _Is he ever going to die? Ow…sternum…hurt…oh, thinking is giving me a migraine right now. _

"Wait," Krillin rose to his feet, "Maybe he's harmless now?"

The little man clad in orange carefully made his way towards the fallen Saiyan; he stood beside him, a triumphant expression on his face. "Is he dead?" Roxas called from the background. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to get a good look at him, "He looks dead."

"I'm pretty sure he is." Krillin replied, being very careful as he scanned for any signs of life.

One of her eyebrows rose, "Have you checked? I could kick him if you want."

"No," a smile graced his lips, "He's dead for sure. Plus, I think moving is kind of a pain in the rear for you right now," he laughed, "at least we won't have to look at his ugly face anymore."

At that very moment, as if he had spoken the magic words, one of Vegeta's eyelids popped open, "_Whose _face is ugly?"

Krillin leapt back, screaming as though he saw a ghost. Gohan, Roxas, and Goku soon joined him, gawking at the sight. _Oh my…what the heck!? You mean after all of that, he's _still _alive!? _

Vegeta used all of his strength to push himself to his feet, breathing heavily. "You think you're very clever, don't you? Well here's some advice: if you're doing to shoot someone in the back, make sure you finish them off!" he grinned maniacally, "its going to be my greatest pleasure slaughtering every single one of you like the worthless dogs that you are!"

He reared his hand back and slapped Krillin across the face, knocking him to the ground. "What is it like, I wonder? Knowing that you had the chance to save everything you cherish, only to fail miserably."

He began making his way towards the weakened Saiyan family. "This is it Kakarrott…Zelena…there's not way to escape! I'm going to do what I should have done from the very beginning and blast you all from the face of this planet."

"R-run…Gohan…" Goku coughed, blood trickling from his lips. Roxas did not have the strength to flee.

Vegeta came to a stop; he pulled his arms towards his chest, and then, after extending him, released the rest of his ki reserves. A blinding light devoured over half of the wasteland, ripping it to pieces.

The attack sent all four of participants in this fight soaring. Roxas slammed into a plateau, which brought her flight to an end. She dropped to the ground, rolling onto her back.

Vegeta was barley standing as he glanced around with an exhausted expression on his face. "This is…pathetic…" he whispered, searching for his targets, "…how can I be reduced to this…!?" They were all still alive. Krillin was lying a few feet away from Goku, while Gohan was slumped over a rock. Roxas was lying on her back, starring at the sky with a blank expression on her face; but he knew that she was alive because of the rise and fall of her chest.

Vegeta nearly passed out, but his will forced his mind to stay. Using what was left of his ki, he drifted into the air.

His body was in more pain then he thought he have been in. "That last attack…ah, damaged me more then, ngh, thought…!"

"Ngh, agh-ah…I need to end this…!" He dropped to the ground in front of Roxas, eyes narrowed in forced concentration. Realization dawned as he gazed at her body. He gasped in surprise upon seeing a certain appendage, "It…it can't be!" he reached down and gripped the furry tail, "she has a tail!" He never even noticed that she had one. He was so used to seeing these tamed Saiyans without their signature ability that he never noticed.

He looked towards the sky, finding that his artificial moon was still there. He quickly switched his eyes to Roxas; lucky for him, she was starring at a cloud shapped like a fluffy bunny in favor of the fake moon.

"I can't allow this woman to transform! I can't!" Raising his hand in the air, he called on some of his remaining ki, and prepared to impale her through her back.

"Leave her alone!"

Turning around, he found Yajirobe lunging toward him with his katana raised high in the air. He slashed through the man's armor, shocking him as blood flow freely.

"Y-you…you cut through my armor…!" he cried before dropping to the ground.

The chubby man gazed at the defeated Saiyan, a surprised look on his face, "I won? YES!" he leapt for joy, "I won! I can see it now, the great Yajirobe's name in lights for defeating the world's greatest threat!"

"What was that tubby?" Vegeta inquired as he rose to his feet.

Yajirobe backed away in fear, holding his hands up in surrender, "I-I was just kidding." He laughed nervously. Sensing that his life was in danger, Yajirobe began flailing his blade without looking, missing with each swing.

Finally, Vegeta punched him the gut, knocking him against a boulder. "No-one ever attacks me on blind side and gets away with it!" he knelt in front of Yajirobe, who was lying in an awkward position, and began beating him to a bloody pulp. "Don't. _Ever. _Do. That. _Again!_"

Roxas's mind slowly surfaced from the darkness. Fighting through the blur, her eyes focused on the clear blue sky ahead. She blinked as she gazed at the wonderful image. _Bunny. _In her head, she giggled stupidly. It was quite possible that she suffered one too many hits to the head.

_Roxas…_

_Huh? _

_Roxas! Please, shift your eyes to the right. _

The voice in her mind sounded like Goku's. Deciding that she had nothing better to do, she followed his instructions; she completely disregarded the fact that hearing voices in one's head was not a good sign. Her eyes locked with a glowing ivory sphere. _Shiny light. _Familiar images played in her mind. Images of a foreign world. Of green people that reminded her of her fallen teacher. Of a lavender haired woman. Of a red haired woman. Of herself.

Suddenly, everything melted away. Roxas's eyes widened as she continued to stare at the light. The irises shifted into a light pink. The blood coursing through her veins burned. Hatred and blind white hot fury took over her thoughts. Her pink irises rolled to the back of her head as her canines grew into sharp fangs. Fingernails sharpened into ferocious talons.

Vegeta paused in the beating of Yajirobe; he could since that something was amiss. That is when it dawned on him. "Zelena's tail!" he jumped to his feet and sprinted towards her, "I've got to stop her!"

Leaping into the air, he was about to pound his foot into her stomach when a loud choke echoed from her throat. Her face stretched into a small snout. Her body began to grow in size, ripping her clothes to shreds. "It's too late!" he cried. Not one to give up, Vegeta delivered a flurry of punches to the woman as she transformed. "No! Stop changing! STOP IT!!!"

Fur burst from her pores as she continued to grow. An inhuman roar echoed around him. "I've got to cut off her tail before she goes completely berserk!" He jumped across her stomach and landed in front of her tail. Grabbing it with both hands, he began pulling at it in a vain attempt to tear it in half. The sclera of her eyes darkened until they were a vibrant red. Within seconds, the transformation was complete; Roxas became the Great Ape. Rising to her feet, she slapped Vegeta away with her tail, knocking him against a nearby plateau.

He began crawling away while she lost control and began tearing everything apart. Krillin covered himself with his hands as rocks rained down on him. Yajirobe screamed for aid as she prepared to through a gigantic boulder at them.

"ROXAS!!!" a familiar voice screamed.

The monkey stopped, looking downwards at the person. It was Gohan. He was gazing at her with a tearful gaze.

Hope returned to Krillin's eyes, "She understands us?" And then it was replaced with desperation, "ROXAS! Get the other guy, he's getting away!!!"

"Don't get 'er excited!" Yajirobe shouted back.

Looking down, the ape caught sight of a flying Vegeta. He stopped to look at the transformed female, a fearful expression on his face.

"NOW!" Goku and Gohan cried simultaneously.

Krillin closed his eyes and covered his head, "ROXAS! CRUSH HIM NOW!"

Obeying him without hesitation, the giant monkey brought the boulder down on him. Vegeta managed to avoid being smashed; but he looked like a clumsy fool as he avoided it. Getting to his feet, the Saiyan prince began running for his life as the giant ape stomped after him.

"That moons going to shine for at least another hour," he mumbled to himself, "and I can't keep outrunning her! I've got to cut off her tail…"

He jumped onto a plateau, avoiding her fist. He leapt to another peak as she tried to smash him with her other fist. Using the last of his strength, Vegeta leapt onto her arm and sprinted towards her head; he delivered a powerful kick to her forehead, disorienting the monkey woman. While she was distracted, he slid down the monkey's back and landed on the spot where her tail connected with her lower back.

He was about to use a ki beam to remove it when she whipped around, sending him into the air and punching him away.

The poor Saiyan landed on a rock, body aching with pain.

Desperate to win, Vegeta leapt onto her oncoming fist. He ran along her furry arm, narrowly avoiding her palm once again. He reached out for her head, only to have her tail appear and smack him away as if he were no more then a fly. He slammed against another plateau, his body riddled with pain. He barley managed to roll off of the rock before she stomped on it.

Just as she was about to smash him, leaping into the air and dropping towards him, Vegeta extended his hands and called on the last of his strength. Nearly all of the ki in his body shot forth, sending her soaring into the air.

Following after her, he extended one arm, "Okay fur ball," he called forth a disk similar to Krillin's Destructo Disk attack, "TAKE THIS!!!" He tossed the disk at her; relief flooded through his body as it sliced her tail clean off. Blood spurt from the open wound, soon to be accompanied by a cry of pain.

Her fur slowly vanished as she toppled to the ground. Vegeta smiled, only for it to fade when he noticed something, "Wait…I can't get around her…!"

His scream could be heard as the gigantic ape crushed him as she landed on the ground.

Her body returned to normal, hair changing back to a dark rose red. Lying on the beaten and half-dead Saiyan was a nude Roxas; she was unconscious at the moment.

His fingers twitched to life and slowly, he reached into his torso armor. Pulling out a flat silver remote control device, he pressed a button on it, allowing his hand to drop to the ground.

Vegeta gasped for air, hoping that it would arrive soon. Within seconds, his space pod dropped to the ground.

"Its…its here…" he shoved Roxas away from himself, and using what was left of his strength, began dragging himself towards the ship. _They haven't seen the last of me. I'm Vegeta…the strongest Saiyan in the universe…I'm…invincible… _

He grabbed at the door of the waiting ship and began pulling himself inside. _Almost…there… _

He stopped when his instincts commanded him to do so. Turning around, Vegeta caught Krillin standing over him with the chubby man's sword in his hands.

"You bastard…" the bald man growled, "…do you think that you can just leave after everything you've done? Well think again!"

His one good eye widened as he realized that he was about to die, "No…no…! You can't do this to me…!" he was almost whimpering.

"I'M GOING TO FINISH THIS!!!" Releasing a battle cry, he prepared to end the battle. _Stop. _He followed the instruction given to him, looking towards his childhood friend.

"Goku? Is that you?" he shook his head, "We have to finish him now, or else…"

"No…let…him…go," he coughed, "show him what its like…to be…merciful."

He looked at his friend with disbelief, "Merciful!? But Goku, he…" _I know what your thinking, Krillin. But believe me, I know what I'm doing. _"But he threatened us all! You know that he'll come back and try to destroy us again!"

_By doing this…we're showing him that there's another way. A better way. _"Goku, I don't think that this is the kind of guy that can learn a lesson like that! He'll just think we're weak!" _Don't be so sure about that, Krillin. This wouldn't be the first time that something like this happened. Think about it. When Piccolo first came, he was just as evil as his father. But now… _

"He's one of us."

_Right. And if someone as evil as Piccolo can change, then anyone can. So Vegeta deserves that chance as well. Piccolo gave up his life for Gohan…who knows…maybe Vegeta might do the same for one of us someday. _

At that moment, Vegeta fell out of his pod and hit the ground; he looked so weak and pathetic.

Krillin brought his sword upwards, ready to finish the battle.

_Krillin please! You've got to trust me. _"But the Saiyans killed Yamcha and everyone else! I CAN'T LET HIM GET AWAY!!!"

_Don't do it. It may seem like justice, but if you strike him down, it'll only show that we're no better then he is. Be strong! _Vegeta pulled himself into his seat. _Don't forget, Roxas and me are Saiyans just like he is. _

After debating the subject with himself, Krillin dropped the katana. _Thanks Krillin; I'm very proud of you right now. _"I sure hope your right." He muttered.

Vegeta laughed weakly as the door began to shut, "When…I come back…to this planet…your all going to suffer…and when you beg me for mercy…I'll gaze into your eyes as I crush the life out of you…!" His laughter echoed from within as the door closed.

Krillin watched as the pod lifted into the air, and then shot off towards the airless vacuum of space.

Finally, after a year of training, the battle with the Saiyans was over. But not without the loss of their friends…

**Oh my gosh. This chapter is twenty-four pages long! The longest chapter I have ever written! I hope you enjoy it; please review and I shall update soon…**


	23. Chapter 23

**Well, writing the fight scenes for the last chapter was easier while listening to then song Battle Cry. I was so happy when I finished the chapter (too…long…). I decided to have Roxas transform instead of Gohan because…well, he already changed twice. Anyway, I did go back and make a few changes to some of the older chapters. Such as the appearance of the woman with the red haired little girl in the scenes written in italics. Instead, she had long lavender colored hair and dark brown eyes. Plus, she is in early thirties. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 22: Conversations **

"_Art is magic delivered from_

_The lie of being truth_."

-Theodor Adorno

Krillin gazed at the sky with hateful eyes. _Just go…and don't come back. _He thought. His body was beaten and sore. But now he had to focus on getting everyone else to safety.

Looking around him, the human realized how close they came to death. A crimson blush slithered across his cheeks when he laid his eyes on Roxas.

He completely forgot about the aftermath of her transformation for a split second, "Uh…" Lucky for him, she was unconscious. He was not sure how she would react to being naked in front of a bunch of men. Gohan would not be the problem; she would be more embarrassed if he and Goku saw her.

Krillin removed his shirt as he made his way towards the unconscious female Saiyan. Carefully, he wrapped it around her torso; it even covered her midsection. Lifting her into his arms, he began walking towards his fallen friend and his son.

He completely ignored Yajirobe as he made his way to the others. Goku looked at him weakly, "How…how is she?" It was natural for him to be worried about her, seeing as Roxas was his cousin after all.

"A little banged up…but I think exhaustions the biggest problem," He jumped when another sound echoed from the sky. "Hm? What now?" He groaned.

Watching carefully, the human soon recognized the white and yellow aircraft. The 'Capsule Corporation' logo was painted on the side. He smiled in relief as it landed. Inside, he could hear familiar shouting. In the next second, Chi-Chi, Goku's wife, broke out of the door.

"GOHAN!!!" she screamed. Sprinting away from the machine, she shoved passed Krillin and tackled her son to the ground, embracing him and crying.

The raven-haired child blushed as his mother hugged him, "Mom? Mom, calm down," he whined, "your embarrassing me!"

Chi-Chi lifted her son into her arms, "Oh Gohan! I was so worried about you!"

"Mom, I'm just fine, really," he insisted, "but go look at dad. He's hurt."

The woman ignored her son; she chose to bring him towards the ship, "My poor little boy…what did those bad men do to you? I'm never letting you out of my sight again!" she sobbed.

Krillin sighed. _Yup…I'm sure Goku feels loved right now. _"Goku?" he looked towards the speaker. It was Bulma Briefs. She and Master Roshi were standing beside the wounded male Saiyan. She changed over the past year. Her short teal hair was now long and tied back with a bright red bow. Instead of a white suit she wore a short-sleeved, dark blue shirt with white trim around the collar and sleeves. Khaki shorts with dark brown, short boots finished the outfit. Roshi looked the same; only now he wore an orange, Chinese-style, long-sleeved shirt and black pants to match.

"Hey boy." The old man greeted, holding his wooden staff.

Bulma dropped to her knees, a worried expression on her face, "Oh no…Goku! Are you okay?"

"Sorry…I can't…get up to say 'hi'…" the raven-haired man muttered weakly.

"That's alright, Goku." Said a deep, rough, male voice.

A white-cat walking on its hind legs approached him. It was quite round, and it carried a brown wooden stick. Its name was Master Korin; he was a powerful martial artist who lived at the top of Korin Tower. It was rare that he came down from his perch; the feline aided Goku in protecting the world when King Piccolo was on a rampage.

Krillin glanced down at the sleeping Roxas; seeing his old friends caused mixed feelings to well up inside of him. There were many times throughout the battle when he was sure that they were going to die; knowing that he was alive and that three of his friends were not was difficult to bare. He did not consider Piccolo to be a friend yet; but he was grateful to the Namekian for sacrificing his life to protect his childhood companion's son.

_I wonder who should tell her. _He doubted that Goku would break the news, and Gohan was busy trying to calm his distraught mother. And then Roxas was unconscious. He was only one left.

Sighing, he began making his way to the others. _I'm not good at this. _"Hey Bulma," he came a stop behind her. She did not say a thing, but he continued anyway. "Well…I'm not sure how to say this…but…Yamcha, well he…" he took a long gulp of fresh air.

"I know," she smiled at him, but her voice was shaking, "He was very brave, wasn't he?"

_How'd she find out already? _That made his job easier. He went ahead and assumed that they knew of what happened to the others, "So you know about Piccolo and Kami then?"

"Kami….too?" Goku was surprised to hear this. His face fell. "…so that means…the dragon balls are…we won't be able to…"

"SHUT-UP!!!"

Everyone jumped as Bulma exploded with emotion; tears dripped from her eyes as the horrible truth clawed away at her mind. Yamcha, the man she loved with all of her heart, was dead. And he was never coming back.

She cupped her hands over her face, trying in vain to whip away the tears as they stung her eyes, "WHY ARE YOU REMINDING ME!?" She screamed.

There was a short silence. Krillin looked to his teacher, "I'm very sorry." He whispered.

"Well, I'm still here."

Yajirobe appeared behind the old man and the bald him. His words however, added fuel to the flames. Bulma jumped to her feet, jerked around, and poked at his chest with her finger, "Yeah! Only because you were hiding behind everyone and watching the die! You're useless!!!"

"Hey, now that's not…" the fat man began, only to be interrupted once more.

She began shoving him away, screaming her lungs out at him, "Yamcha shouldn't have been the one to die! It should've been you! YOU!!!" Her heart shattered, she could do nothing but mourn over the loss of her beloved Yamcha. She dropped to her knees, covering her face with her hands.

Yajirobe was infuriated by the teal-haired female; how could she say such a thing to him? "Well, if it wasn't for me, everyone else would be dead, too! I cut off the bastard's tail, ya'know," Angrily, he ran his hands through his hair, "Like I'm helping any of you ever again…"

"Calm down," Korin ordered, becoming annoyed with the human's constant shouting, "Fighting amongst ourselves won't help Goku and the Saiyan woman now will it? They need medical treatment _immediately._"

Roshi knelt down beside Goku and lifted the bleeding man up by his shoulders. Krillin went ahead and carried Roxas towards the ship; she was in better shape then her cousin, but he could tell that she was in need of medical care. Surprisingly, the hole left by her tail had already finished bleeding. When Vegeta's tail had been removed, it continued to bleed, even when he got into his ship. It was the same for Goku every time they removed his tail.

Yajirobe was heading towards the ship. Just as he was about to board it, Bulma caught his arm, "HELP GOKU!!!" she squealed. Out of fear, he scurried back to Master Roshi and helped him carry the half-dead Saiyan onto the aircraft. Chi-Chi and Gohan were already inside.

Korin followed the sobbing Bulma, with Krillin close behind. Once he was on, the door of the ship closed.

The bald human took the time to lay Roxas across one of the seats; he sat beside her, not even bothering to buckle in.

He blushed a little as he glanced at her. A goofy smile curled at his lips. _She looks so cute when she sleeps. _

But his smile faded as the sounds of Bulma's sobs entered his mind. He sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. _Why couldn't I be the one to die? I was going to go first, but instead Yamcha went. I should've stopped him. And now…we can't bring him back. He had a girlfriend to live for, and now he'll never see her until she dies. Man, this sucks. _He sat back; the man wanted nothing more then to pass out. To sleep the aches and pains away.

But his teacher had other ideas. "Krillin, where are the others? We need to go get them, too." Roshi muttered, his voice grim.

"We were fighting just a few miles away from here, in the big valley." He closed his eyes.

It was a relief being rid of that godforsaken Saiyan; but his threat worried the little man slightly. No doubt he would live up to his promise. It was living in a world where dragon balls no longer existed. For you see, the dragon balls were created by Kami, who was linked to Piccolo somehow. If either Namekian died, the other would share the same fate, and thus the dragon balls would disappear along with them.

_So…Piccolo and Kami were Namekians… _he blinked, an idea surfacing in his exhausted mind. _Namekians…created… _"Bulma," he muttered, trying to word his next sentence carefully, "Unless I'm wrong, then there might be a way to bring Yamcha back."

"Huh?" she perked up immediately. Hope flashed in her sky-blue eyes. She got to her foot and crossed the small ship, which was filled with seats. Windows decorated the walls. The control panel was built into the front of the aircraft. She sat beside him and grabbed his hand, smiling at him, "There is? How!?"

It was no surprise that he managed to catch the attention of nearly every occupant as well. Nervous about being put in the spotlight, he took a deep breath and then continued, "I mean…it might not be true, but…it could be just a rumor or…"

"Rumor or not…" Goku coughed again; it was difficult to breathe. He was lying on a stretcher with a bright orange blanket placed over his sore body, "…it's better then nothing…right…? Please…tell us…"

Hesitation took hold once more. Bulma would have his head if he was wrong; but with Goku behind him, he found the courage to speak. "Well…you see…" he glanced out of the window. Jumping to his feet, he quickly changed the subject. "We're here. Yamcha and everyone else are done there." He barely noticed the transition from dusk to night. The sky was darker ever since the moon vanished into thin air; no-one knew how that happened. It baffled Earth's greatest scientists to no end.

Master Roshi played around with the buttons on the panel, causing the aircraft to slowly lower itself to the ground. The legs emerged from the bottom of the ship, allowing it to touch the dirt with ease. Lights allowed the humans and feline to see outside of the cozy little ship.

The door hissed as it opened; it doubled as a ramp as Korin, Roshi, Krillin, and Bulma exited the Capsule Corporation made vehicle.

"We'll talk later." The bald man promised as he led the others to the corpses of his dearest allies.

Bulma reached into her pocket, hand shaking as she opened a small pack. She pulled a capsule out and tossed it into the air. They exploded, allowing large, human-sized pods to appear.

She and the ivory feline watched as Krillin and Roshi worked together to carry Tien to the first pod. They carefully placed his body inside, and then pressed a button to close the door. It would preserve his corpse for the meantime.

The teal-haired woman watched with anticipation as the two men disappeared into the darkness. Moments later, they reappeared. Her heart nearly burst from her chest as she laid eyes on who they were carrying.

Roshi was supporting his legs while Krillin took care of his upper body. Yamcha's bloodied corpse was limp and lifeless. His face was contorted in shock and fear yet weary at the same time.

She fought the tears as they threatened to spring forth. To see him like that…it was unbearable.

The two males placed his body inside of the pod and then closed the door. At least Yamcha's body would not decay for quite some time.

"Now, where's Chiaotzu?" the bald old man inquired.

He was reluctant to admit it, but he spoke the truth, "Um…I'm sorry, but…we can't locate his body. He self-destructed to save us all."

"Oh." Roshi winced at the thought of the little guy exploding. He looked to Bulma, who was standing stalk still, starring at Yamcha's pod.

Krillin helped the old man carry the heavy pods into the cargo hold of the ship. Once they confirmed that they were firmly in place and would not roll around while in flight, the men returned to the room reserved for the pilot and the passengers.

The only one left standing outside was the ivory feline. He was gazing at the sky, despite the fact that his eyes were closed; this often led others to question his ability to 'gaze' at anything. Korin turned towards the ship, sighing at the tragic sight, "It really is unfortunate to see young men in their prime die like this." He followed the heartbroken female as she boarded the ship.

Roshi took the controls while Krillin sat beside the unconscious Roxas. Bulma sat on the floor and curled into a ball, laying her head on her knees.

Just as Roshi was about to take off, the teal-haired female got to her feet. "I'll drive." She spoke in a calm voice.

He was surprised to hear this; he turned to her, one eyebrow arched, "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She whispered. Nodding his head, he got to his feet, allowing her to switch places.

The group watched as she hesitated to launch. A few minutes passed before Roshi took action, "Bulma?"

She jumped, looking at him, "Hm? Oh, sorry. Let's go." Little did she know, her cheeks were streaked with tears. She buckled into her seat and began tinkering with the buttons of the panel.

The feet of the aircraft pulled in as it hovered into the air, and then took off towards the sky.

The Capsule Corp. crafted aircraft flew through the air, carrying the beings to their new destination. About two hours went by as they made their way across the wide open valley. Thoughts of their comrade's deaths continued to haunt both Gohan and Krillin. The little boy moved to sit nearby the unconscious female, who was now cloaked in a blue blanket. Chi-Chi remained at his side, shooting the woman a suspicious look.

It was this overprotective mother who was the first to break the silence, "Who is she?" she asked, eyeing the woman with slight distaste. She was paranoid after her son's near death experience.

"Hm?" Krillin met her gaze; he wore a blank expression as he spoke, "She's Goku's cousin."

The woman's eyes widened in shock, "You mean she's related to my son!?"

"Uh-huh," Gohan kicked his legs like an innocent little boy sitting in his mother's lap, "so that makes her my second cousin."

Chi-Chi's face fell, "But…why didn't Goku say anything about her before?"

Krillin wondered if she remembered anything from their earlier explanation. They told the onyx-haired female what Goku's brother had relayed to them; only they left Roxas out. "Well," the bald man crossed his arms, "Goku didn't know he had a brother until recently, right? It was the same for his cousin; he didn't know that she existed until the day you found her."

Goku's spouse never trusted the woman from the moment she met her. If she were not infuriated with him, then she would be relieved to meet a Saiyan related to her husband. But knowing that and being in such a negative mood, the thought only made her dislike the woman.

"Hey Chi-Chi," Yajirobe was standing beside Korin, near the back where Goku had been laid out, "how come you haven't said anything to Goku? I mean, he is your husband after all, and he's…"

She turned her nose towards the air, too stubborn to listen, "Yeah right! Why should I care about the man who almost got my little baby killed?"

"But mom, the Saiyans would've blown up the Earth!" the child in question whined, "If we didn't stop them, then…"

Her reaction to his persistence was expected; Chi-Chi always had a nasty temper. "So what!? I don't care if the entire _universe_ was blown to smithereens! Just as long as my little boy's safe from harm!" She embraced Gohan, the thought of losing too much to bare. Yajirobe shook his head; it was pointless trying to reason with her.

A second later, Roxas sat up. The blanket was wrapped around her, so it did not fall when she rose.

Chi-Chi jumped with surprise. The Saiyan woman glanced back and forth, yawning as she did so. "Where am I?"

"Your on our ship." Roshi replied, scanning her with a curious gaze; although it was hard to tell do to his black tinted sunglasses.

She blinked, not entirely sure who he was speaking of, "And _our_ would be…?" she looked around, almost frantically until she spotted Gohan and Krillin. She calmed considerably when she found them. "Why am I on this ship?" she looked to the raven-haired child, "Where's Goku? Where's the midget? What's going on? Who're all these people?"

"Whoa," Krillin held up his hands, wearing a small smile, "Calm down. Don't worry, your safe."

She rolled her eyes, "Well of course I am."

"You don't remember us?" Roshi did not expect her to act as though she never spoke to the man.

She shook her head, "Of course not," she paused, "but you guys look _a little _familiar."

It was best to answer her questions so that she would not become frustrated. Some of the other passengers were curious to know how she was feeling as well. Krillin was the first to speak, "Well, that's Master Roshi," he gestured to the old man, "the big guy back there is Yajirobe-I'm sure you remember him-and then the cat is Korin. Goku's strapped to a stretcher near the back; he'll be fine as long as we get him to a hospital. And then the woman driving the aircraft is Bulma Briefs. Oh, and that woman holding Gohan is Chi-Chi, Goku's wife."

_Okay, now I feel better knowing who everyone is. _"So um…did we win?" she knew that it was a stupid question. Of course they won. Why else would she be safe and sound if they had lost?

But Krillin did not insult her; instead, he simply chose answer her question, "Yeah, we did."

"How?"

"Well…" he was not sure if he should tell her the truth. They never told Goku that he could transform into a giant ape and has before. Memory loss was normal after each transformation. But with a reassured nod from Gohan, he continued, "you see, you changed into a giant ape and overwhelmed Vegeta."

Her eyebrows lifted, "I did?"

"Uh-huh…problem is…he cut off you tail…so…" her face paled as she opened the blanket and looked down at herself. Her eyebrows narrowed as she tightened the blanket again, "…and your naked, as you can tell. After that…Goku let him escape."

Her jaw fell, "What? After he cut off my tail? And after everything…" she glared at the back of the room, "Goku!"

"It was for the best…or at least he says it was." Krillin continued.

Roxas gave an annoyed sighed. _No wonder my butt stings like a bitch. Ugh, it feels like something is pushing out…which is weird seeing as my tail was cut off. _She turned a friendly smile on Gohan, "How've you been? Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," the little boy said, feeling worried for his second cousin, "are you okay?"

"Yeah," Krillin wore the same expression as his friend's son, "you took quite a beating out there."

Roxas pondered her answer for a moment. From what she could remember, she was barely conscious and was in deep pain. Now she was just tired. "I feel…fine."

"Fine!?" the bald human gasped, finding it hard to believe, "You feel _fine _after all of that?"

She nodded her head, "Yup. Just fine."

"Amazing…" he breathed. She was definitely Goku's cousin. Like him, she was an enigma. Her broken and dislocated limbs healed after just three hours. Now, after surviving Vegeta's punishment, she was already feeling better.

Another yawn escaped her lips, "But I still feel really tired." She stretched her bare arms above her head, then slid them inside of the blanket. She snuggled up inside; only her head was visible.

Silence ensued afterwards.

As the ship found itself flying over the ocean, Bulma decided that a change in subject was needed. She could not get her mind off what Krillin was about to reveal to them before.

"So Krillin," she kept her eyes straight ahead. Her voice shook a little. "What were you going to tell us earlier?"

The man hesitated before moving to the chair beside the young female. He caught the attention of every being, except for Roxas, before he managed to get a word out. "From what the aliens were saying, they found out about the dragon balls and decided to make a wish. So that was their reason for coming to Earth in the first place. They were ready to kill everyone but Piccolo because they were convinced that he was the only one who knew about the dragon balls. And for some reason, they called him 'Nomakien' or…"

"Namekian." Gohan corrected from the background.

The bald human rolled his eyes, "Whatever…anyway, they kept calling him _that_. I guess Namek is where they're from, meaning that Kami and Piccolo are aliens just like Roxas and Goku are. And then during the fight, the short guy said that there was a planet full of Namekians and that they could get the dragon balls from them."

"And you believed them?" the chubby man clad in orange chuckled, "dumbass."

The little human-Saiyan hybrid glared at him. Of course he believed the Saiyans, anyone would at that moment. Why would they say such a thing if it was not true? "Yeah, we do believe them!" he blinked, beginning to understand what Krillin was getting at, "so…they wanted to go to Namek to get them to make more dragon balls?"

"Exactly…and maybe, they already have," Krillin paused before continuing with his explanation, "He said that he never believed that they true, the legend of the dragon balls…but what if they're true?"

"So if we go to Namek then we can use their dragon balls to wish the others back." Korin deduced; from the tone of his voice, he was very fond of the idea.

Gohan jumped at the thought, "And then we can wish Mr. Piccolo back, too!"

"Now Gohan," his mother was not as thrilled as her son, "don't get too excited." She warned.

But her words had been shunned by thoughts of rescuing their deceased comrades. The idea was too good to be true. "Yeah and if Piccolo comes back, so will Kami and Earth's dragon balls!" Krillin added, feeling just as hyped as the others.

"Its definitely worth a shot!" Roshi was sitting beside the unconscious female Saiyan. Most would be uncomfortable around her due to her race, but he witnessed her struggle against the Saiyans to protect their planet, so he knew that she was not a foe. That and she was a good looking woman. "So what're we waiting for? Let's go to Namek!"

Krillin leapt to his feet and held one hand up, "All in favor of going to Namek, say 'I'!" Everyone in the room, excluding Yajirobe, Chi-Chi, Bulma, and Roxas, said the exact word his was hoping for.

But their merriment would not last. The voice of the defeated Bulma rang throughout the room loud and clear as she spoke her thoughts, "Give it…its pointless…its not as simple as you think."

"What're you talking about?" That was the question running through all of their heads.

She sighed, fixing him with an annoyed gaze, "Do any of you have even the _slightest _idea clue where Namek is?"

Bulma presented a problem. But hope returned once again as Goku spoke, "Wait…" his voice was still weak, "I've got an idea. Hey, King Kai."

_So you need me to help you find the planet Namek? _Roxas blinked, looking around in confusion. "Is it normal to hear voices in my head other then my own?"

"No." Roshi was just as baffled as she was.

"Thank-you King Kai…please, tell us everything you know." Goku whispered.

For some reason, the female could sense this 'King Kai's' presence. It was a strange sensation. _I'm glad that you all survived the fight against the Saiyans. I was worried for a minute, but you pulled through in the end. Now…I'm sure I have the coordinates for planet Namek somewhere. Hmmm…_Roxas heard a 'whack' on the other end as he read off a list of names. _Here it is, the coordinates are XW66…no, wait…oh! 9045XY, that's it, definitely. _

"Are you serious!?" Bulma gasped, "But that's…" she looked to the old man, "Master Roshi, I need to check something! Take the wheel."

She jumped to her feet while Roshi plopped into the chair. She pulled a calculator from her pocket and began clicking away at the buttons.

_Planet Namek was once a very beautiful place. It was similar to the Earth. Abundance with life and greenery. But that was a long time ago. The climate suffered greatly, and everything began to die. The planet has recovered little by little, but I don't know if there are any survivors. _

"But…crap." Krillin leaned against the armrest of his seat; he was barley staying awake now.

Yajirobe scoffed, "Told'ya it was just a pipe dream."

"Quiet you!" Korin hissed.

_Don't give up hope yet. There's only one way to find out; just give me a moment. _There was silence on the other end. Roxas jumped when he spoke again. _Oh, there it is! _

"If what King Kai says is true, then this might explain how Kami came to Earth," The ivory feline mused. "Maybe the Namekians sent Kami here after the destruction of their homeworld?"

Yajirobe decided to challenge the cat, "Okay, if they have dragon balls…then why didn't they just _wish _their planet back?"

"But then maybe they couldn't," Roshi suggested, "The dragon cannot do everything. We found that out when we tried to destroy the Saiyans with a wish; Shenron said that it wasn't possible. The dragon balls are tied to the one who created them, so they can't grant a wish that exceed the creator's power."

The chubby male was unconvinced, "That's a load of crap!" he moved to stand at his full height, "you just don't want to admit that your wrong." This earned him a swift smack to the face by Korin's tail.

"Shut-up, 'ya stupid…"

_GOOD NEWS! I found the Namekians! _King Kai's voice echoed around the room, causing the occupants to forget what they had just been talking about. _There's at least a hundred of them on the planet. All of them are alive. _Everyone brightened at the thought.

"But," Yajirobe felt that it was his duty to ruin the mood, "if that's true, then we might have a hundred Piccolos on our hands. Think about, it they do exist, then that means we'll have to fight all of them just to get our hands on the dragon balls."

_No, you've got it all wrong. The Namekians are pacifists; they're against battle. Piccolo was an exception to this rule. Take the fact that he was born on Earth into consideration, and he witnessed firsthand all of the horrors of that world. War. Famine. Death. Piccolo was not born evil; it was the evil of mankind that corrupted his once innocent mind. _

The male clad in orange leaned against the chair again, "Guess that makes sense…there are some pretty disgusting people out there."

"You said it." Korin muttered to himself.

Roshi leaned towards Krillin, "I guess there's only one way to show Piccolo that there are good people, and that's to wish 'em back."

"Hold on," Bulma was busy with her calculator, a troubled expression on her face, "So what if we know where Namek is? Nothings changed. How will we get there?"

There was a short pause before Krillin decided to be brave, "Is this a trick question? We should take a spaceship. That easy."

"That easy? That easy!?" Bulma towered over him, her hands on her hips, "I just calculated how long it would take even with Capsule Corp.'s best ship; wanna know the answer? Allow me," she held up the calculator, "it'll take four thousand, three-hundred and thirty-nine years to reach Namek."

They knew that they came to a dead end. None of them would live that long. But Goku was not about to give up, "So…King Kai, do you have any ideas?"

_No. I'm sorry. _Roxas shook her head, unwilling to believe the horrible truth. "No! We have to get to Namek."

Bulma sighed, shooting her an irritated look, "Listen, I know you want to help everybody, but…"

"Its not about that," the female Saiyan snapped. She leaned against the back of her seat, wearing a troubled expression, "that Saiyan…Vegeta…said that I have business in Namek. That means that I've been there, but I can't remember it. Do you think it took me that long to go from Namek to Earth?"

Krillin seemed to agree, "Yeah…your right…then," he snapped his fingers, "what about the Saiyan ships?"

"But didn't that one Saiyan leave in his?" Roshi asked.

Roxas nodded her head, "Yes, but what about his partner? His ship should still be there."

"And then there's my brother Raditz and his ship…" Goku added, "…oh, wait, Gohan destroyed…never mind…" but then another idea came to his head, "but wait, what about Roxas's ship? It might be damaged, but I'm sure its still functional."

His cousin glanced over the side of her seat, fixing Goku with a gaze that could have been a mixture of annoyance and curiosity, "And _why _would my ship be damaged?"

He laughed as though he were reluctant to speak the truth, "I kind of touched a button I shouldn't have." Goku shrunk back into his blanket when he noticed the look she was giving him.

Huffing, she turned away from her half-dead relative and snuggled into her blanket, "Thanks a lot, Goku."

The idea had merit; the scientist of the group seemed to think so as well, "Good…then we have two of them. First we'll find out where they are, and then we can get going!" Even Bulma was cured of her depression by this new revelation.

Roxas interjected her thoughts into the conversation once more, "So where do we start looking? I'm sure Goku knows where my ship is, but what about Nappa's?"

"Well, the ship couldn't be far from where the Saiyans first landed. Possibly near East City." Roshi replied; his eyes were glued to the shimmering city beneath the helicopter.

Chuckling, Krillin dug around inside of his shirt, pulling a small remote control into the open, "I think this might help."

"What is it?" Roxas leaned towards him to get a better view of the silver controller.

"Looks like a controller of some sort. I saw Vegeta drop this; he punched a couple of buttons, and BOOM his spaceship came right to 'em."

Bulma snatched it from his hand and carefully examined her; the woman's mind was in overdrive now. She was determined to understand the intricacies of Saiyan technology. Her expression switched from concentration to a goofy smile within seconds, "Next stop: Namek!"

The sun began to rise in the horizon as the helicopter soared over a deep forest. Roxas leaned against the back of her seat; yes, she would soon learn the origins of her past in due time…

**End of this chapter. Sorry if it was boring. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	24. Chapter 24

**And here is the next chapter. Sorry that it is taking so long for the relationship between Vegeta and my OC to develop, but I'll get there eventually. Until then…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 23: Recovering **

"_A business that makes_

_Nothing but money is a poor business._"

-Henry Ford

The golden sun hung in the sky, illuminating the land below. An azure blue ocean dotted with icebergs seemed to relieve the stress of those who existed on the planet Earth. West City bustled with life. High-rise buildings, apartment complexes and skyscrapers protruded from the concrete and paved ground. Cars made their way to the passenger's destinations. Pedestrians walked along the hardened sidewalks. Chatter and the sound of hurrying vehicles filled the city.

A tall, white building adorning a crimson colored cross and a sign saying 'Mercy Hospital' came into view. Doctors and nurses wandered the corridors of the lively medical facility.

In the room placed on the sixth floor were four beings; three of them badly injured. A trio of beds was placed inside of the hospital room. A nightstand sat nearby two of the beds; the third would make it impossible for the patient to move too much. Ivory curtains had been pulled out of the way, allowing the occupants to view the world beyond. There was a bookshelf pressed against the wall; the television hung on the wall, the remote having remained untouched due to a very strict mother.

Lying in a grey-blue, metal bed with soft cushions making up the inside was a very cheerful Saiyan. His black spikes were pressed against his scalp due to the bandages that seemed to cover his entire body. The machine was created to keep Goku from squirming around, giving his body a chance to recover.

Relaxing in the bed closest to his was his six-year-old son, Gohan. The boy bore less bandages then his father; he wore nothing but a white, baggy short-sleeved shirt along with a pair of matching pants. Bandages decorated his wounds.

An empty white bed sat beside Gohan's. The owner of said bed was standing near the window; her palms and face was pressed against the translucent glass, eyes absorbing the sights of the city. She wore the same clothing as Gohan. Her long, dark rose-red tresses cascaded down her back. Glacier blue irises swiftly danced back and forth as cars flew by below her.

Roxas was astounded by the city. She was like an excited child at Christmas. Unfortunately, she was forced to stay in the hospital so that her wounds would be given a chance to heal properly.

It was unfair being cooped up inside of this uptight hospital when she could be exploring the world around her.

Lucky for Roxas, she was not bedridden like her injured and exhausted cousin was. Gohan could move, although not as well, but his mother insisted that he remain in bed unless he had to visit the loo.

Surprisingly, the redhead was fully recuperated by the time they reached the hospital. But from her description, the area near her tail bone was undergoing extreme pain. Sometimes the ache was bearable, but other times she would be lying in bed groaning and moaning in agony.

The doctors studied her; they were amazed by her healing abilities, but they were astounded by something else. After studying the area where her tail had been, they deduced that the tail she once possessed was re-growing. This was strange. After they removed Goku's tail for the second time, which was when he was around the age of fifteen, it did not grow back. Gohan's had yet to resurface after being removed for a second time. The others decided that a Saiyan's tail could grow back twice; after it was cut off the second time, it would never grow back again.

Yes the medical practitioners questioned the reason behind her tail; Bulma came up with a convincing lie that she never bothered to share with her alien friends. The doctors decided that it would be best if Roxas stayed in the hospital so that they could keep an eye on the growth of her tail.

So she remained on standby while the others left in search of the Saiyan pods. Goku elaborated about the whereabouts of Roxas's spaceship; the rest was left up to the scientist and her gang of mechanics.

While living in the hospital, Roxas was given the chance to bond with her estranged cousin. Chi-Chi did not want to believe that the two were related at first, so they took a DNA test. In the end, it proved that Raditz had spoken the truth.

She decided to bond with Chi-Chi; it was awkward at first, but the woman began treating the female, despite being the same age, like a younger sister.

She managed to build a close friendship with Krillin, too. He was forced to remain in the hospital along with inhuman allies. All of this happened in a matter of months.

Imagine the surprise that fluttered inside of her the female's mind when she learned that humans crafted buildings for specific purpose, such as the hospital. The technology surrounding her was just as astounding.

Apparently, Bulma was heir to the Capsule Corporation dynasty. It was a powerful company in West City. That created some of the world's greatest machinery; if anyone could build a ship that could take them all to Namek, then it would be her and her crew.

At the moment, Chi-Chi was sitting in a chair beside Gohan's bed, peeling his second apple for him while he read a book relating to mathematics.

"Here you go son." She said, holding the fruit out to him.

The raven-haired child shook his head, denying his mother's kind offering, "No thank-you Mom. I'm not hungry."

She furrowed her brow, "But you need to eat if you plan on getting better soon. Do you want to spend the rest of your life in a hospital bed?" The Saiyans knew that she was over exaggerating

"No." he wore a polite smile as he gingerly removed the apple from her waiting hand and bite into it.

The woman with onyx colored tresses gave her relative through marriage a friendly smile, "Roxas, would you like an apple too?"

"Sure." She addicted to succulent crimson delights. If one left a bowl of apples in front of her, manners would be cast off to the side and they would be gone in a matter of minutes.

A second later, the blue tinted glass door slid open. A bandaged Krillin was standing there; he wore the same garb as Roxas and Gohan.

"Good news everyone," the little bald human exclaimed as he closed the door behind him and moved to stand beside Goku's prison, "Bulma said that she's found a spaceship that can take us to planet Namek. She's already been to Jupiter and back."

Roxas glanced at them from the corner of her eye, "Really? Is Jupiter far?"

"Yeah," he nodded his head, "it would take most of Earth's ships _years_ just to reach Jupiter."

_Impressive. _Her attention returned to the window. "Sounds great." Her bedridden blood-relative replied in a cheery tone.

The little human pulled up a chair and sat beside his resting ally. He leaned against his odd mechanical bed, a thoughtful expression on his face, "I wonder what Namek will be like," he glanced at the intrigued female, "Hey Roxas," she snapped her head in his direction, "can you remember what life was like on Namek? If you were really there, I mean."

"Nope."

Not the answer that he wanted to hear. So he tried again. "Nothing at all?"

"No, not really."

Her response was disappointing, but if she was inflicted with amnesia, then there was nothing they could do. But there was a possibility of her recovering her memories once she arrived on the planet, which is why they decided to bring her along with them.

A childish grin spread across her face while she gazed at the city below. "I can't wait until I'm aloud to leave the hospital; the city looks so cool! I've never _seen _anything so amazing!" she was almost singing as she gushed over the wonders of the city.

Krillin chuckled; she reminded him of Goku when she was not smarting off to whoever found their way onto her bad side, "Sorry, but you'll have to wait until we get back from Namek."

She sighed at the thought of having to wait, but feelings of disappointment were quickly replaced with questions of the planet Namek. In the end, their next destination would have to entertain her until she could thoroughly explore the human cities.

Roxas released a cry that startled the other occupants in the room as pain throbbed near her rear end.

She backed away from the window and slowly stumbled back to her bed. Her eyes were shut tight as she groaned, praying that the pain would diminish soon.

"Are you okay, Roxas?" Chi-Chi's voice matched her expression; she was worried over the young Saiyan.

Not trusting her voice, she merely nodded to her cousin's mate. But the pained expression on her face revealed her thoughts to the others. "Here," the woman with onyx colored tresses leaned over to the other female's nightstand and handed her a glass of ice-water, along with pills to relieve the pain.

"T-thanks." The female quickly dropped two pills into her mouth and then consumed half of the glass. She would be feeling the misery caused by her tail for a while even after taking the pills. So, like always, she laid down, hoping that she would pass out soon.

The pain of re-growing one's tail was normal in the eyes of everyone except Gohan. Krillin could still remember how Goku complained when his tail was trying to regrow when he was a young lad.

"I wonder why her tail is growing back so fast," The raven-haired man inquired, gazing at his cousin as she fought to fade into the blissful darkness of sleep. "It took my tail forever to grow back."

The bald human male shrugged, "No idea. But it makes me happy that I'm not a Saiyan; can't imagine what she's going through."

Neither of them mentioned how Gohan had yet to show signs of his tail returning. But it might be different if one is a half-Saiyan. The men returned their gazes to the woman as she began kicking around on her bed, whimpering like a wounded dog over the agony she was being forced to suffer through. Silently, she cursed Vegeta for severing her tail. Within minutes, her body decided to cooperate with her; Roxas calmed, and soon, she faded into a deep sleep…

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_The sun was slowly melting into the horizon; the sky was a golden orange as it bid farewell to the golden orb that was once illuminated the land. Seagulls drifted through the air in search of delicious fish before returning to their nests. The water shimmered in the setting sun. Pink and purple mixed with orange; it was as if God had crafted this masterpiece with his own hands. _

_A small island was placed in the center of the vast ocean. Palm trees and an assortment of greenery flourished. The waterfall was a nice touch. Added to the island was a small complex of wooden shacks; they were not the work of craftsmanship, but they would do. A wooden dock with a pair of canoes tied to the side protruded from the sandy beach. _

_Sitting on the dock was a girl around the age of nine. Her short, dark crimson tresses were soaken with salt water. Glacier irises gazed at the ocean intently. Her skin was light in tone. She wore nothing but a baggy black-shirt and a pair of denim blue jeans. A dark brown tail that could be confused for either a monkey or a cat swished in rhythm with the waves. She was leaning back on her hands, using them to prop herself up. _

_Beside her sat another girl; she was the same age as her female friend. Her short, light brown hair was spiked and styled, giving her the appearance of a tomboy, just like the girl sitting beside her. Dark brown irises that flashed to coal-black when angered locked with the dazzling sea. Her skin was tanned by the golden sun. Unlike her friend, she wore a short-sleeved green t-shirt with the image of an old-fashioned car with wheels flying off of a wooden bridge, the 'Dukes of Hazard' printed on the front. Denim shorts countered her friend's jeans. Flip-flops acted as her footwear. She was shorter then your average nine-year-old; most of the time, people mistakened her for a child who should be enrolled in kindergarten due to her height. She was hunched over, arms resting on her thighs as she kicked her legs over the water. _

"_Hey, Lenne…what do you think is out there?" the brunette asked, eyes remaining glued to the ocean. _

_Lenne snapped from her thoughts and turned to look at her childhood companion, "Not sure…Mommy said that there are a lot of planets, though. And stars." _

"_Yeah…but I mean: are there aliens like in the movies?" she propped her head up with her palm. _

_The little redhead shrugged again, "Don't know. But there might be; I'm an example of that, 'member Jami?"_

_Jami, the shorter of the two girls, nodded her head, "'Course." Despite the obvious differences in race, the girls were inseparable. They became close friends at an earlier age in their lives. _

"_You know," Jami went on to say, "I'm really curious to see the other worlds." _

_Her friend glanced at her from the corner of her eye, "Why?" She was not as interested as the other girl in the galaxy beyond. She was perfectly content with staying put in the Foundation. _

"_Well, after you came, I started wondering how man aliens there were, ya'know. So, I decided that when I grow up, I'm gonna be an astronaut and travel around space. I want to see all of the different aliens," she smiled to the redhead, "and you'll come with me, right?" _

_She gave her female companion her trademark grin, "Duh! Like I'd let _you _travel around space by yourself." _

"_Very funny." Jami pouted, crossing her arms over her chest in a childish manner. _

_But the soothing breeze was not enough to dispel the worry that continued to impale the small girl's heart. She gulped, not entirely sure if she should attempt to obtain the truth from the abnormal child. Taking a leap, she opened her mouth, "Hey Lenne." _

_The tone of her friend's voice was a little unnerving. "Hm?" _

"_Will…" she hesitant to ask, but Jami found the courage in the end, "…will you get better soon?" _

_The waves splashed into the rocky plateau enshrouded in the diverse shrubbery in the background. There was a pregnant pause before Lenne replied to her friend, "Maybe." _

_Her reply was less then pleasing. But it did feed the slowly fading hope that continued to linger in the brunette's heart. _

_Her voice was bearable as whisper as she spoke, "Good…" a forced smile tugged at the corners of her lips, "…'cause I'll need you in top shape if we're gonna travel around space together." _

"_Don't worry, Captain." Lenne gave the other girl a mock salute. _

_A familiar crackle caught the girl's attention. "_Will Lenne Wayland report to the Isabella Wayland's office, please?_" The voice belonged to her mother. Rising to her feet, she waved at the other girl, "Well, see'ya. Mommy probably wants to run some more tests." _

"'_Kay. Have fun." _

_She scoffed at the other's words, "Yeah right." And began moving towards the wooden shacks. Throwing the door open, she found the translucent glass corridor of the Foundation awaiting her presence… _

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Her consciousness slowly resurfaced in the pool known as reality. The young woman's eyes fluttered open; the blur was easily dismissed. A familiar white ceiling came into view. Wearily glancing back and forth, Roxas soon realized that she was lying in her bed in the hospital room. The room was dimly lit by a single lamp; the once blue sky was darkened by night and glittering with stars. The city lights continued to flare below her windowsill.

Getting to her feet, the female Saiyan crossed the room; she placed her rear on the windowsill, allowing her a better view of the world beyond. Gohan and Goku were fast asleep. Chi-Chi and Krillin were no longer present.

Her eyes trained on the sky outside. Memories her battle with the Saiyans came to mind. Roxas's fingers curled into a fist. _I was too weak to do anything for them. _But she refused to standby and allow her allies to die. Closing her eyes, she leaned against the clear glass of the window. _I wonder…what're these dreams I keep having? _

**End of this chapter. Yes it was just filler, sorry about that. But I hope that you enjoyed it either way. And yes, I know that a Saiyan's tail cannot grow back when they reach adulthood. This will be explained in later chapters. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	25. Chapter 25

**Now for the next chapter. Thank-you for reviewing for the last chapter… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 24: Avenger **

"_All the art of living lies in the fine mingling _

_Of letting go and holding on_."

-Henry Ellis

Son Goku stood in a wide field. The sky was a clear blue dotted with fluffy clouds. Pyramids jutted out of the ground; they were built long ago. He adorned his trademark orange and blue Gi. He should have been in the hospital located in West City; but the Saiyan wanted to train as much as he could before he met with the prince of his race once more. He made use of every chance he was given to escape the wrath of doctors and his wife. Usually they would catch him with the aid of Master Roshi, and then drag him back to the hospital kicking and screaming; or in Goku's case, whining.

Now was one of those moments. Sliding into his own battle stance, Goku took a deep breath. His body still ached, but at least he was capable of movement again.

Charging his ki, Goku released a gold blast, blowing one of the pyramids to pieces. _I'll work on my Kaio-ken soon. _If Chi-Chi caught him again, he would never hear the end of it.

Little did he know, someone was watching him in the distance…

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Stars glimmered in the dark dephs of space. A round, pale green planet came into view. Blue clouds churned to life. Lush forest made up the landmass. Hidden deep within the forest was a large fortress; the building consisted of ivory towers adorned with scaly pink designs and windows.

Deep inside of the fortress existed a darkened hospital wing. High-tech computers were built into the walls. Oval pods protruded from the marble floor. A dim light illuminated the area around one particular pod. It was filled to the brim with teal liquid. Floating in the center was a naked Saiyan prince; all of the deep gashes that was caused his body to bleed out vanished into the abyss. Only battle scars that appeared over the passage of time remained on his chest and toned abdomen.

A dark grey mask that covered his nose and mouth hung from the ceiling of the pod; it was connected to the door. Two smaller, white cords stuck to his head with as much strength as a starving leech.

Low beeping noises echoed throughout the room; the computer that was hooked to his pod obsessed over monitoring the rate of his heart beat. If anything were to go wrong, it would notify the health officials immediately.

Most would enjoy the time they had to rejuvenate, but not Prince Vegeta. No, his mind was attracted to far more pressing matters.

His eyes twitched as images of a certain Saiyan man played across his eyelids like a bad movie. Humiliation filled his heart at the thought of being defeated by said male. _Kakarrott. _The man adorning a bright orange Gi slowly melted into a redheaded female. It was hard for the Saiyan prince to believe that she managed to defeat him; both she and her cousin hailed from low-class parents. It was disgusting! _Zelena. _

Not only that, but they were the only Saiyans in the entire universe, save for the hybrid brat and himself. To think that they would team up against their prince, the leader of their people. The muscles in his arms convulsed as he desperately fought against the pair. A light, azure blue aura kicked up around his muscular yet lean body.

The computer connected to the healing system reacted to the rise in power. As his anger increased, so did the amount of ki that he was generating in his sleep.

A few seconds later, a strange looking lizard-like man with brown scales entered the room. He wore flowing white robes with black, sharp shoulder blades encrusted with silver designs. A furry bright orange Mohawk protruded from his scalp. A pointed snout could be seen, and he only had a thumb and two clawed fingers.

"What is going on?" he gasped at the sight. Ki was crackling around the pod. He watched with horror as it slowly began to give way to the pressure. His assistants soon poured into the room. "Quickly," the lizard man shouted, "get him out of there before he…" Too late. The pod shattered like glass before he could finish his sentence. He sounded less urgent as he managed to say what he had been planning to shout before the Saiyan destroyed the pod, "…destroys the pod. Again."

Teal colored liquid poured from the ruined machine. Vegeta's eyelids fluttered open; they were glowing a bright azure blue, but within seconds, they reverted back to their original night-black form.

"Well, Prince Vegeta, you gave us quite a scare," the brown lizard-man waved his assistants towards the door. They filed out into the hallways one-by-one. "For a moment we thought you were finished. I am sorry to inform you that we were unable to reconstruct your tail."

The tanned Saiyan removed his mask and rose to his feet; a hole was left by the trademark of his people. But that no longer mattered to the prince. "It doesn't matter." He dispelled the doctor's anxiety immediately. The short male climbed out of his pod; he shook his dripping hair a tad once he was free of the soaking wet glass mess. The Saiyan prince clapped his hands when he noticed that the lights were out; upon hearing the familiar command, the overhead lights flashed on, blinding the dark-haired male temporarily.

Without being told to, the doctor crossed the medium sized room, coming to a stop near a door. He typed a command into the padlock that controlled the actions said door, forcing it to slide open. Reaching inside, he removed a fresh set of clothing for the usual patient, and then moved towards the chrome table, setting it down.

The brown lizard moved to another table; it was covered in the Saiyan's old armor and clothing. What was once soaked with blood was now cleaned, although the cracks and tears remained.

A few days ago, the Saiyan's space pod docked at one of his boss's many hideouts scattered across the galaxy. Saying that the guards were surprised to see Vegeta on the brink of death was the understatement of the century; the fact that he was making use of the emergency life support system was a clear indication of his dire need of medical assistance. While he was hooked to the rejuvenation pod, the doctor spent his time cleaning the bloodied armor and monitoring his half-dead patient. The short man took longer then usual to recover; the data gathered that he was in a state of deep thinking, so that was preventing the young man from regaining consciousness.

This caused a great deal of curiosity within the doctor; what could bother the prince to such a degree that he would remain unconscious for days on end until he finally solved the problem? Or at least until he realized that he needed to wake-up sooner or later.

Even this medical practitioner was shocked to find that his favorite patient was barley intact. He shivered at the thought of meeting whoever, or whatever, had done so much damage to the ruthless Saiyan.

Examining the gashes in the armor, he decided to start up a conversation with the lad, "Care to tell me what happened? Or is the damage to your pride still too great?" He continued before Vegeta could respond, "Judging by these fractures in your armor, you must have received quite a beating; and _that's _putting it lightly."

The young man was already wearing the dark blue, one-piece spandex that covered everything save his feet and hands. At the moment, his right foot was propped on the chrome table, sliding into one of the ivory boots.

"I pray that you are not entertaining any thoughts of revenge," the doctor added in a hard tone, "I might not be here to put you back together next time."

The brunette scowled as the embarrassing memory of being beaten to death by Kakarrott and a woman continued to haunt his mind. He was already wearing his left boot, so instead he slipped a white clove on; it came to his elbow. The doctor could sense the young man's hostility; he hoped that he did not step on a landmine. But the Saiyan did not say or do anything to him, so he let out a sigh of relief. Grabbing the white armor adorned with pointed, golden shoulder blades, he slipped it over his head so that it fit snugly around his torso. He decided to leave out the armor that would protect a very sensitive area of his anatomy; they were never that comfortable to the prince anyway.

The first words out of his mouth since getting out of the pod were not what the doctor expected. "Is Frieza here? I need to see him."

"N-no," he was caught off guard; since when did Vegeta care to even lookin Frieza's direction? It was a well-known fact that he despised the man. "He left a while ago. I'm not sure where he is at the moment."

His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the brown lizard-man out of the corner of his eye, "You'd better not be lying to me. I am in a very foul mood at the moment, so I would appreciate the truth."

"Uh," he knew the consequences of lying to Vegeta when he was in this statement of mind, "how about you as Cui? He may have an idea of Frieza's whereabouts. He was on his way to the training center when I last saw him."

Vegeta chuckled at the doctor's stupidity; he would not trust Cui with his dinner let alone information on Frieza's location.

To Cui, they were bitter rivals; to the prince, he was nothing more then an annoyance that Vegeta would love to blow off of the face of the galaxy.

"I have no need for that fool," he began walking towards the door, "If you see Frieza, tell him I'm looking for him."

"But Vegeta," the doctor called. He glanced at the silver chrome table; the dark crimson and white scouter had been neglected. The lizard-man snatched it off of the table and run after the man clad in blue, white, and gold. "Vegeta! Sir, you forgot your scouter!"

The Saiyan prince did not spare a glance at the older male as he meandered down the narrow white corridor, "Keep it. I have no use for it."

Yes, his ego was still throbbing with humiliation and anguish. To think that a pair of low-class Saiyans, one being a female, managed to send him running back to Frieza's lair was embarrassing.

For years, the young Saiyan would be sent on a mission to conquer a planet filled with weaklings. Never had he left the base with his partner or partners, and then returned by himself; nor did he feel and look like he took a trip through a cheese grinder before. To add insult to injury, Cui probably already knew about his little mishap; the man would never let the Saiyan continue his existence without cracking jokes about it. Vegeta would take a single bit of this humiliation sitting down; he already swore that he would return to Earth and rip those sorry excuses for Saiyans apart, and he would carry out that promise no matter what it took.

But first he would pay a little visit to the good people of Namek. Immortality would play a role in his victory of those Neanderthals. And then Frieza would meet the same fate.

Two guards, one resembling a human the other a green purple lizard like thing with the back of his head protruding outward, saluted the Saiyan prince as he casually moved through the ship. The young man's gaze was turned downward so that he was starring at the white marble floor. He was busy plotting his next move when a pair of familiar green boots entered his peripheral vision. Trailing upwards, he soon found himself starring into the eyes of the most loathsome being in the universe; then again, Vegeta decided that Frieza still held that title. Cui was the _second _most loathsome being in the universe.

Cui was not of human origin; that must was obvious. His uniform consisted of a black, spandex, one-piece uniform with the sleeves removed; dull light green short boots protected his feet. Or flippers, Vegeta was not sure which one of the two was part of Cui's anatomy; he was interested in finding out, for that matter. Golden crotch guards were attached to black torso armor that was lined with silver. He added matching gold shoulder pads. Ivory gloves covered his hands up to his elbows. The man's face resembled that of a fish; his rough, bumpy skin was a dark purple. Two, wide-rimmed holes opened on his head in place of horns; the man lived his life without a hairline. Sharp, charcoal-black irises laughed at the Saiyan. A pair of holes similar to the ones on his cranium was placed on the sides of his head, allowing him to wear a white and green scouter. A set of antennas jutted out of the corners of his jaw.

Cui wore a devious grin as he announced his presence to the man; it was hard to believe that the two were around the same age, "Heard you took quite a beating recently," he chuckled, "Its sad to think that the great _Prince of All Saiyans _could not take over one lousy planet; and if the rumors are true, then you couldn't even beat two of your own, both of which are third-class Saiyans."

"Shut-up Cui," the young brunette growled at the other male, trying desperately to drown out of his temper to avoid being charged with the murder of Nessy's son, "I would rather converse with a wall then a half-wit like you."

A white gloved hand shot from his side, gripping his shoulder and force him to a stop, "Hold it," his puffy lips spread as he relayed the information the young Saiyan desired to hear, "I've heard that Frieza does not appreciate your attitude."

"And I would care why?" His response shocked the purple fish-man. No-one dared to speak of their landlord so casually. "Now remove you hand _this instant._" He hissed coldly.

Cui did as the aristocrat ordered, opting to place his palms on his hips, "You don't know what your up against, Vegeta," he might as well give the man who saw as his rival a fair warning, "Let me put this plainly: Frieza is utterly _indestructible._ And…"

"Enough!" the shorter male jerked his head around so that he could glare at the worthless excuse for a warrior. His discomfort entertained Cui to no end. "Where has Frieza gone? Tell me."

The truth would either confound or make the little Saiyan squirm; either would make Cui's day, "Namek."

_What!? _And the uncomfortable squirming began; oh how Cui enjoyed taunting the monkey. _If I can't get the dragon balls, then I'll never be able to put back in his place. _"Just give it up Vegeta. Frieze will definitely find those dragon balls first; and when he does, will rid the universe of the planet Namek once and for all."

"No…" Vegeta's face twisted with blind fury, "…I refuse to give up!" Without a moment's hesitation, he sprinted down the hallway and away from the agitating fish.

Cui called after him, but the Saiyan prince ignored his words and continued onward. Along the way, he ran into his favorite doctor.

"Hm? Vegeta?" without bothering to stop he snatched his scouter from the brown lizard.

"On second thought I think I'll be needing this!" the brunette called as he fled from the spectators that wandered the halls.

He ran all the way to the hanger of the fortress; it was a large room filled with spherical silver ships just like the pod Vegeta used to move from planet to planet. He leapt through the open door, landing in the cushioned seat perfectly. Before Cui could catch up to him, he closed the door and immediately opened the holographic keyboard. Vegeta already knew the coordinates to Namek, so it did not take him long to type them. Outside, Cui ordered for the Saiyan prince to evacuate the space pod, but to no avail.

The purple fish watched as the white pod slowly levitated into the air. Within seconds, it was rocketing towards the sky, azure blue lightning whipping around its spherical form as it vanished into the dephs of space…

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A clear blue sky hung overhead. The sun burned brilliantly as the summer months continued to pass. Flowers danced in the wind. Nothing but silence surrounded Son Goku as he stood in the wide field. Tall, rocky pyramids decorated the land.

"Target located."

The voice belonged to a female. Through the eyes of the binoculars, he appeared to be green. But upon removing the high-tech gadget, she saw that he was clad in the same orange Gi as described in the reports. A young human woman was hiding in the bushes not far from where the alien was training. Her naturally light brown hair was streaked with golden highlights. The human woman gazed at him through narrowed dark brown irises. Her skin was tanned by the golden sun. She wore a short-sleeved, form-fitting grey shirt. A shotgun was strapped to her back. Baggy, camo styled pants covered her legs. Black leather, short boots was added to the outfit. A rifle was buckled to her belt while a pair of high caliber pistols was attached to her thighs. Beside her was a large, black leather case.

Dropping the binoculars to the ground, the woman, who was short for her age which was around twenty-four, rose to her feet. She casually stepped into the open with the large case in hand; it was longer then her body. It was amazing that she could even lift it.

"Hey!" the young human female called to the man she despised the most.

The charmingly adorable Goku turned to look at her, a curious expression on his face. "Hm?" he cocked his head; who was this strange woman?

She faked a smile as she spoke, "Are you Son Goku?" She had to make sure that she had not mistakened someone else for him. But it was hard to confuse the orange Gi and spiky dark hair.

"Yup that's me." He replied in a childlike manner.

Reaching for the pistols on her thighs, she flashed him with a malice filled glare, "Good." Her arms extended as she shut off the safety on her weaponry, aiming them straight at the unsuspecting male.

Goku stared at her for a moment before coming to an incorrect assumption, "Oh, are you out here to train, too? Lemme get out of your way first." He was about to walk out of her line of fire when he noticed that the barrels of her guns followed his movements. Now he was confused. He gestured his hand to the pyramid, "The pyramids over there."

"I'm aware of that, dumbass!" she shouted before pulling the triggers, firing an onslaught of bullets at the Saiyan.

Goku casually reached up and caught each and every pointed piece of led with his bare hands; he managed to snag two between his teeth. He spat the pair from his mouth and dropped the others, giving the female a questioning glance, "What was that for?"

"For murdering my brother you sick bastard!" the woman released about eight more rounds before dropping the pistols; it was apparent that they had not effect on a man who could just catch bullets like they were flies. She tore the rifle from her hips and began firing at him again. Goku caught these bullets as well, still wearing that dumfounded expression on his face.

Growing frustrated, she dropped the rifle and replaced it with a shotgun strong enough to bring down a dinosaur. To her amazement, Goku caught the bullets as if he were catching a baseball. _So the reports weren't lying when they said that this guy isn't human. _Dropping her shotgun, she knelt down and unlocked the case adorning a crimson image with a white 'R.R.' painted on the front.

Goku's eyes grew wide when the petite female brought out a missile launcher small enough for an adult man to carry. She and the gym must have been good friends.

She never thought that she would have to bring out the heavy artillery.

About four missiles flew at the Saiyan with incredible speed. Goku's eyebrows narrowed when he finally understood that this woman was out for blood. His blood, to be more specific. Extending one foot, he caught the first missile. Opening both arms, he caught too more. Using his jaw he managed to put a stop to the fourth. The force of the weaponry caused the powerful man to slid backwards a foot or two; that and his body still did not recover from his battle with Vegeta.

The missiles died and he dropped them. He gave the gawking woman a disapproving look, "Firing missiles at people isn't very nice, ya'know."

The brunette-blonde gaped at him. How could he say such a thing to her? The man had the mental capacity of a child.

She was growing irritated with the way he was acting; he was treating her actions like they were a joke. The nerve! Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a capsule, preparing to press the button.

"I swear that I'll kill you Son Goku!" she screamed.

"Okay that's enough."

The bored male voice was familiar to the woman, but strange to Goku. Turning around, she found a twenty-four-year-old man standing behind her. His carrot colored tresses was cut short and messy. His skin was a few shades lighter then the females. Scolding, light brown eyes met her black ones; the woman's eyes usually grew a few shades darker when she was angry. He wore a black, long-sleeved dress shirt with a pair of blue denim jeans. Matching sneakers covered his feet. The carrot-top was smoking a scented cigarette.

Her eyes softened, lightening to their usual dark brown upon seeing him, "Roy…" she whispered faintly.

"Come on Jami," the carrot-top named Roy ordered; he disapproved her actions wholeheartedly. "Let's go."

Her eyebrows returned to slits, irises becoming a deep hateful black, "No!" she spat, "Not until I kill this bastard for taking my brother from me!"

Roy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose; she was being ridiculous. "You know, there are two reasons why I would appreciate it if you would just drop the charges. One: revenge is pointless. Two: it's obvious that you are no match for this man. Give. It. Up."

"No! I won't stop until I see he's begging me for mercy!" The carrot-top closed the distance with a few quick strides. Extending one arm, he whacked the back of her head, knocking her unconscious immediately. Jami slumped into his arms. He regretted hitting her, but he had to regain control somehow.

He turned a bored gaze on Goku, "I'm sorry if she has been an annoyance."

The raven-haired man blinked, eyes wide with horror. His expression melted into disapproval, "How could you?" he shouted, "A man should never hit a girl!"

That, of course, was a very Goku-like response. Goku is the only man on the face of the Earth who would be more concerned with the morals surrounding men striking females then the fact that said woman was attempting to take his life. "You should be ashamed of yourself!" he added.

"Yes," Roy shook his head at the other man's innocence; how old was he? "I should be. And I regret it. But it needed to be done."

He lifted Jami into his arms bridal style, coolly turning on his heels and walking away, "Oh, and you should go back to the hospital before…" Goku's knees buckled and he dropped to the ground. His body was not yet ready for the strain caused by training. Roy stopped in mid stride; he turned to look at the crumpled orange and blue heap on the ground with a mildly amused expression on her face. "…never mind. Here, I'll do you a favor, Son Goku."

Reaching into his pocket, Roy pulled out a cell-phone. He dialed the number before placing the contraption to his ear and near his mouth.

It rang for a couple of seconds before a very distraught woman answered. "_GOKU!!! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?_"

After regaining his hearing, Roy answered for the barley conscious man in question, "I'm sorry to inform you that I am not Son Goku."

There was a short pause before the woman spoke again, "_Oh…then who is this?_"

"That is for me to do know and you to never find out," Roy hesitated before going on, "then again, at this rate, you just might find out."

"_What?_"

"Anyway," Roy cleared his throat; he was ready to move on with the rest of his life, "I know where Son Goku is. If you want to find him, then follow these coordinates and you will come to him. He seems to have passed out."

A now worried voice filled his ears, "_Oh please, tell me where my husband is! Wait, let me grab a piece of paper and a pencil_," there was a rustle of movement, "_okay, where is he?_"

A small grin spread across his face as he told her the coordinates. He bid the woman farewell before she could thank him, and then hung up. Placing the phone in his pocket, Roy turned away from the conscious man, making his way to the helicopter that was hidden in the nearby canopy…

**Yes this chapter was just filler. And these two characters, Roy and Jami, will play an important part in the fic later. **


	26. Chapter 26

**Thank-you for reviewing. I always put a lot of detail in my fics, even if everyone could recognize the characters with just a short sentence or two. For some reason I like describing the character's appearance (both canon and OC) alike. Also, I am sorry its taking so long for the romance between Vegeta and my OC to start. Like I said; writing a romance fic between an OC and Vegeta is a little challenging. I'm going to try to keep him from acting OOC. Anyway, enough of my rambling…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 25: Landing **

"_Memory is the mother of all wisdom._"

-Aeschylus

Dark clouds churned furiously in the ash-grey sky. A wide, expansive field filled with tall plateaus came into view. Waves rolled across a large pond teaming with creatures that appeared to be a fusion of snails and squids. They bore dark, navy blue shells adorned with black strips. Their crimson colored eyes were practically bulging out of their head. The sea creature's flesh was a light blue. Long tentacles danced in midair, holding a familiar bald human male in place.

Krillin struggled against the fish creature's tentacles in a desperate attempt for freedom; with each movement the fiend's tentacles grew tighter. At the moment, he was wearing a white under-shirt with a dark blue, short-sleeved over shirt. Ivory pants covered his legs while a pair of black and yellow boots acted as his footwear.

Standing on the bank was a pair of tall aliens. Their body was made up of light and dark pink armor. The sclera of their eyes was a bright yellow while their black beady pupils went in a different direction. They were not the most attractive aliens in the galaxy.

Lying beneath them was a sleeping Bulma Briefs. Her once long blue hair was cut short so that she could wear a spacesuit; not that she really needed it. She wore a pink headband for style. A one-piece, black jumpsuit covered her entire body save for her hands and feet. It was similar to a Saiyan's spandex; the difference being that it was cloth and not as tight. A bright yellow short-sleeved shirt connected to a vibrant yellow skirt was added to the outfit. Orange short-boots acted as her footwear.

Tens days passed as Bulma worked to learn the Namekian language so that she could fly their ship to said planet. Until then, Krillin, Roxas, and Gohan worked to heal their wounds so that they would be fit to leave. It was obvious why Bulma and Roxas needed to go, but a long debate ended with Gohan and Krillin being chosen as their male companions. Days if not a week passed as they flew through space in that strange ship. Recently, they crashed onto a planet they soon came to know as Namek. It was a beautiful, healthy world filled with lakes and vibrant fields. Beings resembling the Namekians lived here, too. After a day of searching for dragon balls, the scenery changed into something less healthy and friendly, and these strange sea monsters attacked Krillin.

The Namekians transformed into those hideous creatures. The bald man was not sure where Gohan was. Right before all of this madness began, the little boy gave a yelp before being drug underground while their backs were turned.

The human struggled against their grip, but they were not prepared to let go anytime soon. "Don't worry," the light pink alien said, "they're night feeders, so they won't eat you _now._"

"They'll just hold you there until dark; giving us enough time to make our escape." The dark pink creature added.

The blue-haired human woman regained consciousness shortly after they finished speaking. Lifting her head, she glanced up at them. Her groggy expression switched to alert as soon as she laid her eyes on them. "Wait a minute…what am I doing here?" she glanced back and forth before returning her gaze to the hideous aliens, "I remember being on planet Namek…and then…nothing."

"Well," the alien spit on the ground in front of her, "welcome to the armpit of the universe. The two of us have become quite familiar with it since our ship crashed here. Believe me, this is nothing compared to how it'll be later. We had given up hope of ever escaping this smoldering rock; that is, until you guys came along. We were planning to leave with your ship that night, but the conditions were not right. We decided to 'kill time' until they were."

Bulma's face shown with confusion, "But…this doesn't make any sense!"

"If you'll shut-up for a minute then it will," the pink man grumbled before continuing his explanation, "We decided to have a little fun on your behalf; but we stumbled upon something greater then we could ever imagine. So, we brought you to the ruins of our ship. With a lot of work, we transformed the remainder of our ship into a laboratory. I scanned you and uncovered some intriguing information on the dragon balls you were searching for."

She got to her feet, steadily growing more and more frustrated, "But that doesn't make sense! I still don't understand at all."

"Don't you get it?" the tall pink being asked, "It was an illusion; a ruse."

After it was spelled out in a way that she could understand, the blue-haired human blew up. "Is this how you get your sick kicks? IS IT!?"

"You've gotta admit it was pretty funny." The dark pink alien chuckled.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" the bald human male shouted from the background.

Bulma's face shifted to a deep shade of red, "You. Are. Not. Taking. Our. Ship." She ground out through clenched teeth.

"Is that right? And what do you plan to do about it?" the dark pink one was mocking her. "Your friends all preoccupied at the moment."

The other spoke before she was given a chance, "But we are not keen on violence, so if you let us leave, then we'll go peacefully," he paused, "we could've taken your lives before we took your ship, but we didn't. Instead, you allowed you to experience a little dream to keep your attention until we could sneak away."

The anger on her face twisted into blind rage at this, "Assholes!"

"Now, we must bid you adieu," he clenched his fist in anticipation, "for soon, an opening will appear and allow a ship to evacuate the planet."

The other's tongue lashed out, snatching Bulma's dragon ball locater. He caught it with his hand as he quickly retracted his tongue, "You won't be needing this anymore."

"What? H-hey!" she spluttered.

"Now you can stay here and rot, praying that someone will happen by and take you back to your home." The light pink alien cackled. They happened away, disappearing behind the rocks.

Bulma stomped her feet, her heart filled with rage, "DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE US HERE! COME BACK!!!"

"Don't just stand there shouting!" Krillin called back, "do something!"

She jerked around, shooting him a hateful glare, "AND WHAT'RE YOU EXPECTING ME TO DO ABOUT IT!?"

He shrunk back at the sheer force of her voice, "I don't know!"

Meanwhile, the pink colored aliens hopped to the crater where the human's ship was left stranded. It was large in size; the main body was spherical in design. Blue windows allowed them to gaze outside. Four, slim legs held the ship up when it was not in flight.

"So," the light pink one said as they leapt into the crater, "do you know how to fly this thing?"

"Piece of cake. Its all voice activated. I just say the word and we're off," the dark pink one replied. He threw his hands up, "Open up and take us to planet Namek!"

Nothing happened.

They stared at the door, waiting for it to open. Said door was identified by a circle on the bottom of the ship. When it opens, that circle will fall from the ship, creating a platform that will carry the passengers onboard. So far it was not doing its job.

The pair began climbing all over the ship in an attempt to board it. The windows would not open. And there was no sign of another door.

"Hmm…maybe we should get the girl and tell her to open it." One of the dark pink ones said. The other nodded. They leapt off of the ship and landed on the cliff. Just as they were about to leave, they heard a sigh. Turning around, they caught sight of the blue-haired woman.

Bulma's eyes widened when she realized that she had been caught. She laughed nervously, and slowly, rose to her feet. Heart beating quickly, she was about to sprint away, but one of the aliens shoved her into the crater. She landed hard on her bum, groaning in pain.

"Now, open it!" one shouted as they met up with her in the deep hole left by their ship. "Or else we won't be able to leave again for another year."

"But can't we work something out?" She was going to bargain with them; maybe they could come to a conclusion that would satisfy all of their needs. "Maybe I could drop you off somewhere else?"

The dark pink one decided to ruin her plan with his next sentence, "But it'll take fifty years to reach our home planet."

"Fifty years!?" she gasped, her face falling with disbelief.

"Now hurry!"

The poor human had no other choice. Sighing, she turned towards the entrance of their ship, and spoke the password clearly, "Piccolo!"

The door shown a vibrant gold before it slowly lowered itself. "Superb." The dark pink one muttered. He shoved Bulma to the ground, allowing himself and his partner onto the lift.

"Have fun. It won't be so bad when you get used to it." The light pink one laughed.

The other chuckled as he added a few extra details, "Oh and remember: don't drink the water and don't go out at night and you should be fine." They cackled as the lift returned to the ship.

Bulma was on the brink of tears. They had worked so hard, and now she would never be able to resurrect the man she loved. Everything seemed hopeless until she heard a familiar voice.

"Huh? WHOA!" a female being shouted from within the ship, "What the hell are you!? Piccolo!"

The lift lowered itself to the ground immediately. The two aliens glanced at each other and then up inside of the ship. A second later, a familiar female Saiyan dropped downwards, one foot on each of their heads. Using the pair as a ladder of sorts, she dropped to the ground in front of them.

Roxas's long, rose-red tresses were disheveled from sleep. She wore nothing but a black baggy t-shirt. Dark blue shorts billowed around her knees. Her feet were left bare as her new, dark brown furry tail swished back and forth behind the rest of her body. Her face shown with mild irritation.

"Why were you trying to get on my ship?" the redhead hissed.

The dark pink one glared at her, "We're using it to get off this rock."

"Please, let us or we'll be stranded her for another year!"

She narrowed her eyes, "Do I look like I care?" The two aliens glanced at each other before sliding into a battle stance. Rolling her eyes, the female Saiyan delivered a powerful punch to the dark pink's ones abdomen. She grabbed the arm of the light pink when and flipped him over her shoulder, slamming him hard against the ground.

Roxas blinked in surprise, "Well, that was easier then I thought it was going to be."

"We told you," the dark pink one whimpered, "We don't have a taste for violence."

"And we weren't kidding." The other mumbled.

One of her eyebrows rose. _I don't remember hearing that. _She looked away from the pink crumpled heap of aliens, taking in her new environment. Her eyes came to a stop on a relieved Bulma.

Like anyone else, the twenty-four year old was baffled. "Uh, Bulma, where are we?" Before coming to this strange planet, she could remember rolling around on her bed as her tail continued to force its way into the opening. But then, the ship shook violently, causing the back of her head to slam into her bedroom wall, knocking her unconscious. When she awoke, she left her room in search of the others. The first beings she found were those hideous aliens. Not the first sentient creatures one would like to meet as soon as they woke.

"Here's the short version of a long story," the teal-haired woman said, frantically looking around as a storm thundered to life overhead, "we crashed on a strange planet, lost sight of the ship, those guys scanned our brains and lied to us, making us think that this was Namek by making an illusion. They were about to take our ship and flee until you woke up," closing the distance, she bent down and confiscated her dragon ball locater, "Mine," she turned towards the other female, a curious yet worried look on her face, "Where were you? And when did you tail grow back?"

"I was in the ship during you little adventure…apparently…and my tail must've come back when I was unconscious," Roxas took a quick look at their surroundings, "where's Gohan and Krillin?"

As if to answer her query, an explosion went off in the distance. Debris flew upwards as a familiar cry echoed throughout the field. A second explosion went off shortly afterwards; this one was accompanied by debris and water that was being propelled into the air. It was not long before both Gohan and his father's childhood ally appeared in the crater.

Gohan was wearing the dark purple training Gi that Piccolo had made for him. His once long, unkept black hair was neatly brushed and sliced into a black bowel-cut. At the moment he was covered in yellow slime. Krillin was soaked with water.

Roxas blinked, looking very confused, "What happened to you?"

"I was almost eaten by a giant worm." The six-year-old replied in a casual tone.

"I would've been eaten by snails when night fell." The bald human muttered.

The redhead decided that it would be best if she did not ask how they ended up in such strange predicaments. She turned a cheery smile on her female companion, "Well, ready to go?"

"Yeah," she ran towards the waiting lift, "or else we won't be able to leave for another year!"

The males joined their female companions on the transporter. "Piccolo!" It carried the four into their ship.

The first room they came to was wide. Near the front was a trio of dark blue tinted window, along with the control panel. The walls and ceiling were white, while the floor was covered in a chestnut-brown carpet. Two seats had been placed on either side of the driver's chair. One door near the back led into the hallway that would bring the four to their bedrooms; Bulma and Roxas shared a room while Krillin and Gohan conquered the other. The door directly beside the one that led into the hallway was where the bathroom was located. The kitchen was beyond their sleeping quarters.

Running across the small front room, Bulma, Gohan, and Krillin dropped into their seats. "Hold on 'cause things are gonna get a little bumpy!" the woman shouted as she started the ship. The lights flickered on.

Their ship teetered unsteadily as it lifted into the air and shot towards the darkened sky. "Are you sure this is going to work?" Krillin asked, looking quite unsure of himself.

"Don't worry; we'll make it!" the blue-haired woman shot back; her eyes were filled with determination.

Roxas braced herself as the ship entered a heavy fog. It shuttered as Bulma forced the large contraption to fight through the atmosphere and thick clouds. Roxas leaned against the wall, watching as the sky began to split in half. She released the breath she had been holding when it finally returned to the airless vacuum of space.

"Now hold on; we're entering hyperspace!"

One of Roxas's eyebrows arched, "Hyper-what?" Her body lurched forward as a portal ripped open in front of the ship, sucking them inside. She almost slammed into the back of Bulma's chair, only for her own body to be yanked backwards; she did connect with the wall. The room spun in circles; she went cross-eyed for a second before she regained her senses.

_Ow. That was an unpleasant experience. _The female Saiyan groaned as she rose to her feet; her eyes connected with the window. They appeared to be inside of a glowing, bright orange tunnel.

It was an amazing sight. But just as quickly as it began, it came to an end. Within seconds they returned to the boring darkness of space. Roxas used to gaze out the windows in awe when they first took off. Now she was craving for something other then stars, darkness, and the occasional dust cloud.

She received her wish soon enough. Seconds after leaving hyperspace, Roxas caught sight of a large green planet streaked with purple clouds.

Bulma let out a sigh of relief as she eased up on the controls, "Whew, we finally made it to planet Namek."

"That's Namek?" the female Saiyan asked while she leaned against Krillin's chair.

He glanced at her, "Look familiar?"

She shook her head, "No."

"And it's the _real _planet Namek this time!" the woman added, "You guys should go get cleaned up so we're presentable to the locals."

_I don't think they care about our appearance. _"Sure." But leaving the ship in her pajamas was not a good idea. What if they ran into Vegeta while they were there?

Roxas turned away from the window and rushed into her the bathroom; Gohan and Krillin sighed when they realized that they lost the battle over who would be using the shower first. The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom a few seconds later.

"I wonder if her memories will come back while we're here." Gohan mused while he waited for his surrogate sister to give him a chance with the one piece of furniture they would clean the disgusting slime off of his body.

Krillin placed his hands on his hips, "Hope so. It'd be interesting to hear about life on Namek from someone else's point of view."

"Without a doubt." From the look in Bulma's eyes, the males could tell that Roxas would be interviewed soon after regaining her memories.

A second later, the Saiyan in question left the bathroom wearing nothing but a white towel. She ignored the boys as she made her way into she and Bulma's quarters. Gohan and Krillin glanced at one another before sprinting to the bathroom. The adult male groaned in irritation as he emerged from the door; he was fighting a losing battle.

Roxas reappeared in the front room a few seconds later. One of Bulma's teal eyebrows rose as she took in the other woman's appearance. Roxas wore a dark, navy blue long-sleeved shirt with a collar that covered her neck. A long, black leather coat billowed around her body, almost touching the floor; the hood hung back, allowing Bulma to see her face. Silver trinkets hung from the front, adding a bit of flare to the otherwise dark appearance. The long, wide-rimmed sleeves covered her arms. Cloth, black gloves protected her hands. The silver zipped closed the front of her coat. Ebony, form-fitting pants kept the outside world from seeing her legs. Last, she wore a pair of black boots rimmed with silver; the boots hindered Bulma from seeing that they went to her knees. The Saiyan's brown tail swished to and fro. Roxas's dark rose-red hair was tied up in a neat bun, allowing her bangs to hang freely mostly on the right side.

"Any reason your going emo on us?" the human woman asked.

The Saiyan shot her quizzical glance, "Emo? What're you talking about?"

"Why're you wearing such dark clothes?"

She smiled, "Oh, this goes along with my new technique that I developed on our way to Namek. It requires me to wear a tone of dark clothes so that it'll work; what's the point if I can't hide myself, ya'know?" A proud gleam danced her glacier blue irises, "I've been working on this technique ever since I became Piccolo's student."

"Right." Gohan appeared from within the steam filled bathroom; he was wearing a towel around his waist. The six-year-old quickly ran to his bedroom. Krillin did not waste any time sprinting to the restroom.

Guessing from the sound of a flushing toilet, Krillin needed more then a shower. The girls giggled at the short human. Gohan appeared a few seconds later. He wore the same purple Gi, only it was clean and dry.

"So are you planning on using _it_ in case we run into Vegeta?" The six-year-old Saiyan-human hybrid asked when he noticed his surrogate sister's garb.

She bobbed her head in a nod, "Yeah." Although she was not sure if it would work the way it was supposed to. She was still inexperienced with it.

"Hold up." Krillin called as he emerged from the hallway. He blushed when he caught Roxas and Bulma looking at him while he wore nothing but a towel around his waist. The short human disappeared into the next hallway.

It was not long before the human rejoined his companions. He now wore the orange and blue Gi that students under Master Roshi wore; only this young man added a white, blue, and red cap to the mix. Bulma turned away from the floor and began clicking away at her computer.

"Now, I'll just check to see if we can breathe in this atmosphere. If we can't, then we'll just wear the spacesuits. They should last us a while, and then they run out of air, we'll…hm?" the teal haired woman glanced outside of the window when she noticed that something was off.

Her jaw fell when she found all three of her companions standing outside of the ship without any protective equipment.

The trio did not notice the second female's reaction. They were busy taking in Namek's appearance. The sky was a clear, healthy pale green with a few ivory clouds here and there. Large plateaus jutted out of the land. Tall, skinny trees with a large ball of purple leaves protruded from the ground. Their height was on par with a majority of the surrounding peaks. The air was breathable from the looks of it.

"Doesn't look very different from Earth, huh?" Krillin muttered, his eyes scanning the land.

Roxas scratched her head, "Well, if you excuse the green sky, then yes, it looks a lot like Earth," she glanced at the other two, "does Earth's sky turn green?"

"No." Gohan replied, snickering at her ignorance.

Krillin wore a less enthusiastic expression, "But its _way _too quiet. Kinda gives me the creeps, ya'know?"

They listened in silence. Not a sound echoed from the distance. It as if this planet lacked a single sentient being other the four newcomers.

"Guess so." Gohan muttered.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING JUST WALKING AROUND BEFORE I SAY ITS OKAY!?" Bulma appeared out of thin air, screaming like a wild banshee. She nearly scared the life out of Krillin, Gohan, and Roxas. "YOU COULD'VE DIED!!!"

The female Saiyan massaged the inside of her ear with her pinkie, "The only thing that's died since I left the ship is the hearing in my right ear."

"You guys got lucky; from now on," she dug around in her back pocket, pulling out the small dragon ball detector, "nobody moves until I say so."

_Aye, aye, captain. _Roxas thought in a sarcastic tone. A beeping noise sounded from the detector. "Yes, I've picked up four dragon balls already!" the teal-haired woman exclaimed in excitement. "And they're close, too."

Krillin reached up and pinched her cheeks. Gohan and his female Saiyan counterpart cocked their eyebrows at his extremely random act. "Uh…" Bulma looked at him as though he had gone insane, "…what're 'ye doin'." Talking became a challenge due to the awkward situation.

"I was just checking to make sure that I wasn't dreaming." He replied in an innocent tone.

She did not buy into his reply. Bulma held up one arm and slapped him across the face, causing him to let go, "WELL THEN PINCH YOUR OWN DAMN CHEEKS 'YA CREEP!"

"Its real." He flashed a peace sign at the Saiyans.

But their merriment was not meant to last. Gohan and Roxas detected something within seconds after establishing that this was reality. While Krillin and Bulma were performing a sort of happy dance, the other pair glanced in a random direction. Reaching into her pocket, Roxas pulled her sapphire colored scouter out. Her human friend was kind enough to bring it along for the ride. She place the scouter on her ear and clicked a random button.

The numbers that appeared were made so that an Earthling could read them. They continued to rise before coming to a complete stop.

_Whoa! I can't believe how high it is. Looks like there are multiples power levels; some are pretty weak, but there's a really high one here. _"Uh guys, we're not alone. Someone with a really high power level is here."

They ceased their dancing immediately. "Where?" Krillin asked.

Another power level appeared on the scouter. "Something's coming!" Roxas looked to the sky; now she was on the defensive. Krillin and Gohan joined her.

"Who is it? Can you tell?" Bulma asked.

The other female shook her head, "No. The numbers keep going up. I might be able to tell you in a minute, though."

"The energy on this planet feels wrong." Krillin muttered.

Roxas's heart skipped a beat when the energy closed in on the planet. A familiar silver pod came raining down from the sky; it was covered in azure flames. The entire group watched with horror as it collided with the ground in the distance.

"Its…gotta be Vegeta." Krillin muttered in terror.

Bulma cried out in fear, "D-did you say Vegeta!? No way!"

"He must be here for the dragon balls," Roxas muttered as the numbers came to a stop, "Yup. Its definitely him. And it looks like he's gotten stronger, too."

"W-what do we do!? We can't possibly fight Vegeta!" the blue haired woman screeched, "If he gets to the dragon balls before us then we're doomed!"

"Then we better stop talking and get moving." The female Saiyan growled. She was determined to find the dragon balls long before Vegeta even came close to one.

While Roxas was focused on the spot where Vegeta's ship had landed, Bulma made plans to return to Earth. She was hoping to go pick up Goku and then bring him to Namek while Krillin, Gohan and Roxas stayed on Namek to find the dragon balls. It would take two months to do so. One to get to Earth and another to come back to Namek. While Bulma was busy phoning Roshi back on Earth, Roxas continued to gaze beyond the peaks. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the mere thought of him.

_Vegeta. _Azure blue ki crackled around her body as she gritted her teeth. Small rocks levitated into the air. Her anger was beginning to lash out into the real world.

"Hey, look at that."

She dispersed her gathering energy immediately. Looking upwards, Roxas caught sight of another Saiyan ship.

"Don't tell me that's Vegeta's ship again." Bulma whimpered as she hung up. The phone was brought outside of their ship.

"No." Krillin whispered in shock.

_Then who else could it be? _A new challenge presented itself to the small group. Hopefully, Bulma would return with Goku soon…

**End of this chapter. I hope you enjoyed. Please review and I shall update soon…**


	27. Chapter 27

**And here is the next chapter. Thank-you to all who have reviewed in my absence. Also, I decided to raise the rating due to violence, language, and other things. Anyway, here's the next chappie… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Dragon Ball Z/GT **_**series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter. **

**CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism. **

**Chapter 26: Strike **

"_Here is the test to find out_

_Whether your mission on Earth is finished:_

_If your alive, it isn't._"

-Richard Bach

"So what're we going to do?"

Gohan presented the others with an interesting question. They finally arrived on planet Namek; but more complications arose when Vegeta and an unknown being arrived on the planet as well. It would be best if Bulma left simply to keep her out harm's way. Plus, they needed Goku to arrive as soon as possible.

Bulma was sitting on her knees, sighing in despair, "Well…its not doing us any good just sitting here," her face brightened considerably, "so its settled! We'll stick to the original plan. I'll hurry back to Earth and get Goku." She turned away from the trio and began walking towards her ship.

"You guys have the radar so you shouldn't have any trouble," she waved, "see you in two months."

Krillin was the first to speak out against her, "Hold up."

The teal-haired woman jerked to a stop, sending a frightened look at the warriors of the group.

"So, Gohan, Roxas…what do you say that we, well…maybe we should go too?"

His suggestion shocked the Saiyans to no end. How could he say such a thing after they had come all this way? The fact that he was not receiving a reply from either one was unnerving for the man.

He decided to try again, "Hey come on," he faked a smile, "two enemy ships have already landed. Even with the dragon radar, the odds are stacked against us. It might be best to cut our loses."

"Are you scared?" the female Saiyan asked, wanting to make his thoughts very clear to the others.

Krillin shook his head, "I'm not sayin' I'm scared or anything. I'm just looking out for Gohan. Chi-Chi would kill me if I let him get hurt."

"But…" the six-year-old in question began. "…we can't just leave now. If we leave, then Vegeta will get _all _of the dragon balls."

The bald man's face fell. But he quickly recovered, "Yeah…well, maybe we should just let him have 'em. I mean…we could always try again next year, right?"

"Wha-what?" the red-haired female blanched; her face falling with disbelief. "That has to be the single most dumbest idea I've ever heard of!"

Krillin clenched his fists, fixing her with a serious yet nervous glare, "So do you want to stay here and get your butt whooped by Vegeta!?"

That caught the female Saiyan's attention. She hesitated for a moment, choosing to ponder her options carefully before answering. "Um…well," it was difficult to admit, but he had a point. "Not really…but…" Roxas sighed, shaking her head lightly.

"But if he gets the dragon balls," Bulma continued for the only other female in the group, "then he'll wish for immortality and he'll be completely _unstoppable!_"

An awkward silence consumed the group of four. At first, searching for the dragon balls appeared to be a simple chore. But now everything was spiraling out of control. First of all, neither of them was sure how well the Namekians would take to their arrival. And now, not only has Vegeta arrived on the planet, but so has an unknown force. If they were to assume that the data they extracted from Roxas' scouter was correct, then there should have been even more powerful beings on the planet.

The odds were stacked against them. That much was for certain. Roxas tore her mind from the dephs of her thoughts when a certain six-year-old's voice interrupted her thoughts. "H-Hey," Gohan gestured towards the north, "look over there!"

"What is it?" the redheaded alien fixed the direction with a cautious gaze while Bulma went to hide behind one of the legs of the ship.

"Is it Vegeta?" The teal-haired female asked from behind the safety of the spacecraft.

Krillin was starring in the same direction; he shook his bald head, "No, I don't think so," without looking at her, he spoke, "What's the scouter say, Roxas?"

She reached towards her ear and pressed on the button. There was an irritating beeping sound before two power levels were displayed before her eyes. "There's two," she answered as she read them carefully, "Neither appears to be Vegeta…and they're pretty weak, too."

"Your right." The human male clenched his fists, eyebrows narrowing as he glared at the spot.

There was a pregnant pause. Seconds passed before a pair of beings appeared in the distance. "Wha-what're are _those!?_" Bulma yelped from the background.

"They're not Namekians," Krillin squeaked; it was obvious that he was intimidated by them. It was hard not to be. "that's for sure!"

They were both tall burly males. Neither appeared to be Saiyan, Human, or Namekian. One appeared to be a muscular human man with pale blue flesh; his eyes were as dark as coal. A pair of rough horns protruded from his forehead. Long, frizzy golden blonde hair that connected to a mustache cascaded down his back. A sky-blue scouter covered his left eye. His outfit consisted of blue and khaki armor with dark blue tights. White gloves boots had been added to his wardrobe.

A being with muscle to equal his partner's stood at his side. This strange creature appeared to be a light purple lizard-man; a sharp fin jutted out of his head, and his skin was covered in scales. He wore a pink scouter over the same eye. His torso armor was the same, however he wore what appeared to be a pair of bright pink briefs rather then pants. A long-sleeved dark purple undershirt was added to his outfit; last, he wore a pair of white boots.

One of Roxas's eyebrows rose. _Wait a minute…isn't that the same armor that the Saiyans wear? _"Look at what they're wearing!" It seemed Roxas was not the only one who noticed their garb. Bulma had been the first to voice her thoughts.

"But they don't look like Saiyans to me." The bald human male muttered. The two aliens took flight and carefully made their way towards the group of four.

"Then what are they?" Gohan asked, looking more curious then frightened.

"Maybe someone hired them?" Although the female Saiyan sounded unsure of herself as she spoke.

Krillin's eyebrows narrowed even more as the two came to a stop, still hovering in midair, "Well, whatever they are, they don't appear to be our allies."

_No duh. _"Hey guys," she listened as Krillin whispered to both Saiyans, "Keep your energy suppressed until we know what we're dealing with."

"Right." The child replied with a nod.

Roxas carefully scanned their every move. They appeared to be whispering something to each other, although she could not tell what they were talking about. A moment later, the purple one held up the gun he had been holding, and unleashed a powerful golden blast. It slammed into the ship; the beam went straight through it, tearing a hole into its metal frame. The window exploded from the pressure. The trio of fighters covered their eyes as they waited for the smoke to clear.

When it was safe to look, they found Bulma sitting on the ground a few feet away, looking as though she were on the brink of tears. Witnessing the demise of the ship she had slaved over for a few months must have been difficult.

"No," Krillin called out in despair, "Not the ship!"

One of the pair began to chuckle while the one holding the gun decided that now would be the best time to gloat. "Did I destroy your precious ship?" he giggled like a madman, "I'm so sorry." It was obvious that he was mocking them.

Roxas glared daggers at them, "Oh come on! That took _forever _to build and you destroy it just like that!?"

"Hmph…" the human began to charge his ki, "…so they're a lot stronger then we thought? Fine then," he turned an annoyed look on them, "c'mon."

"'Kay." Gohan and his father's human friend took off into the air before Roxas had a chance to charge in her energy.

She blinked, confused when they disappeared in to thin air. The female Saiyan realized that had gone for the pair when she saw Gohan appear in front of the purple one and deliver a powerful kick to the head. Krillin did the same, resulting in the blue man slamming into the purple one. They ricocheted off of one another and hit the water; sinking down into its dark dephs.

Roxas sighed as she rested her hands on her hips. _I knew they were weak but that was just pathetic. _Krillin and Gohan landed on the ground in front of her.

"You could've waited for me, ya'know." The disappointed female mumbled.

Krillin chuckled, "Heh, can't help it if your too slow to keep up." She narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest. _Very funny. _

"Why're you guys so happy!?" Bulma screeched at them; she was enraged. "Now our ships gone and we'll never get back to Earth!" Tears streaked her cheeks as she mourned the death of their spacecraft. "We'll be stuck on this planet _forever!_"

The human woman brought up a good point. Now that the ship was gone, returning to Earth would be a challenge. But that did not appear to dampen Krillin and Gohan's spirit.

"Well then," the human man said as he headed towards the still open door of the ship, "then there's no use staying here is there?" He quickly flew inside.

"Wait for me!" Gohan quickly followed after his father's closest ally.

_Sure there's no use crying over it…but…_ Roxas was beginning to feel uneasy. The situation seemed to grow worse the longer they remained on planet Namek. Sighing, she moved under the ship and levitated into the ship. When she touched ground inside of the main control room, she dropped by the male's bedroom. Just as she suspected. They were in their small room packing their things.

Deciding to follow suit, the woman left without and word and headed to her and Bulma's room. She quickly packed her own stuff up before doing the same for the human woman. Carrying both of their bags, Roxas followed Krillin and Gohan to the outside of the ship once more.

Bulma was still sobbing over the corpse of their deceased ship. "C'mon Bulma," Krillin called as the Saiyan tossed the woman her travel bag, "If those were scouts, then their leader will probably send more here soon."

"But our ships gone!" she cried, eyes now red and puffy.

"Don't worry Bulma," the kind six-year-old boy said in an attempt to calm her, "I bet the Namekians can help us repair the ship," he added, "I promise we'll make it back to Earth."

Roxas decided to join in, "He's right. We'll find a way back." She tried in a soothing voice; hopefully it would help her see that crying would not fix the ship.

"And besides," Gohan continued, "Mr. Piccolo taught Roxas and I that you should never panic in a tough situation, right?"

"Yes." _But I'm probably going to break that rule multiple times. _She decided not to voice the rest of her statement.

Bulma heaved a sigh before rising to her feet, "Fine…" she turned weary eyes on them, "…where to?"

***

A light breeze kicked up. Absolute silence reigned supreme. Standing near a deep gouge in the land was a familiar male Saiyan. Vegeta's arms were crossed over his chest while his darkened irises scanned the surrounding area carefully. Only a few minutes had passed since his arrival and he was already being badgered by that nuisance.

_Hmph…well, we should be able to put an end to this soon enough. _The Saiyan prince thought to himself while he awaited the alien's appearance.

Cui arrived on Namek only a few seconds after the young prince. Apparently, he was given orders to eliminate the Saiyan.

It was a relief to know that Vegeta had the perfect excuse to whip that annoying fish off of the face of the universe. He eagerly anticipated the purple man's arrival.

_Hm? About time. _As another minute passed, a familiar power level appeared in the distance. Cui would arrive at any second. He cocked his head so that he could scan the area behind him. Said alien was within eyeshot. _Took him long enough. _

Cui wore a broad smile on his face as he flew passed Vegeta, skidding to a stop only a few feet away; he kicked up dirt and dust as he went.

This brought a cocky smirk to the prince's face as he turned to face his opponent. Cui did not waste time as he dove for Vegeta, creating a powerful beam of energy as he flew. The Saiyan leapt out of the way just in time for the beam to detonate on the ground.

The raven-haired man kicked into the air just before the blast could hit. The smoke began to melt away. Soon, it was easy for him to see that Cui was standing on the ground, completely unharmed.

"It's so nice to see you again, Vegeta," he gave the aristocrat a malicious smile, "You have no idea how long I've looked forward to this moment."

Cui took the time that was necessary to check Vegeta's power level, "You should have thought twice before betraying Lord Frieza."

The raven-haired male slowly dropped to the ground; arms crossed firmly over his broad chest. "Heh," the Saiyan chuckled at his opponent; he was not afraid of the weakling, "You just don't get it, Cui. I'm finished with taking orders; now I'm ready to _give _them."

"Turning on Lord Frieza is worst mistake that anyone could make," Cui said as though he were scolding the prince, "You know what happens to those who defy him. Well guess what? You're no different."

Vegeta clenched his fists together, fixing the reptilian man with a sinister gaze. Without a single word, he began to charge his ki. _I'll show him that I'm different from the rest. _The numbers on Cui's scouter began to rise rapidly with Vegeta's energy. "What the…?" he glanced at the small object on his head.

"That's right Cui," the Saiyan prince nearly cackled, "I've learned how to conceal my power. It's a little trick I picked up back on Earth!"

The purple fish man's eyes grew wide with shock as the numbers continued to rise. There did not appear to be an end! "But…b-but…" Cui was found forming a coherent sentence a challenge, "…your power level wasn't anywhere near mine!"

"Idiot," His ki continued to rise; as did Cui's fear of the short man. "I've been to the brink of death and back again more times then I can count! Meanwhile, you've been hiding behind Frieza like a pathetic dog, growing weaker as time flew by."

Finally, his energy had reached a level that Cui's scouter could not take. It blew up, burning the side of the purple man's head. He cried out and began to cradle his sore cranium. The Saiyan had come to his highest power level; with a broad grin plastered across his face that did not bode well, the short male slowly approached his arch enemy.

Cui held up his gloved hands in surrender; terror was evident on his hideous features. "Wait-wait Vegeta," he begged, "I've concocted a brilliant plan!" He gestured to himself with his thumb, "The two of us could join forces! I mean really, Frieza is old news. Plus, with our combined powers, Zarbon and Dodoria would be as weak as newborns."

At this point, the purple man was prepared to say anything to save his own hide. In the end he planned to turn on Vegeta once he gained his trust. Or at least that was his plan. From the looks of it, the monkey was not as dense as he first thought. A low, feral growl echoed in the back of Vegeta's throat as he continued towards his weak excuse of a rival.

But Cui was not prepared to just give up and lose his life. "Come on, think of it Vegeta," he paused for only a second, "We have engaged in so many duels that we know each other like the backs of our own hands. If we were a team then we would be unstoppable!"

"Shut-up already!" The brunette was becoming annoyed with this pathetic man's blubbering. He was ready to finish this once and for all. Besides, allies are for the weak. "You're starting to make my stomach turn."

Cui backed away, his hands up in fear, "But I'm not lying to you! I'd never…" Guessing from the look on Vegeta's face, his temper was beginning to flare once more. Now he was ready to beg. "Please," the fish man continued, "you have to put your faith in my Vegeta."

It was not long before the truth registered in Cui's mind. If he did not do something soon, he would die. His mind going into overdrive, Cui dove into the dephs of thoughts, searching for an escape. Then it hit him. Face brightening, he glanced over Vegeta's shoulder, "Hey, is that Frieza?"

"What?" Okay, maybe Vegeta was as dense as Cui thought he was. Laughing, the fish man summoned a bright orange beam and threw it at Vegeta.

The latter glared at him fiercely and threw up his arms. Deciding that one blast would not be enough, Cui created a barrage of orange and gold ki beams. The force of each beam was strong enough to propel him high into the air. A large, fiery explosion consumed Vegeta's body as the purple male created one final blast.

He heaved a heavy breath as he gasped for air. Eyes scanning the ground, he found that the monkey was nowhere in sight. Cui was victorious. A broad smile curled at his lips. Only dust and rubble was left.

"Hah! You should have listened to back on Planet Frieza!" Cui cackled as he lowered himself to the ground. "I warned him, but I guess…"

"So that is what you consider advice?"

His heart began to race as he slowly turned to see if his fears were true; and low and behold, Vegeta was standing behind him in all of his height-challenged glory.

Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest, a light smile on his face, "Then you are saying that I should submit to my enemies? Yet you know perfectly well that I would never stoop so low."

Cui looked as though he were about to cry. But instead, he stood his ground. "H-how did you…?" he was finding it hard to voice the question.

"Underestimating your enemies will be the death of you, Cui," Vegeta's smile grew wider with each passing second, "What happened to all of that confidence?" His face fell when Cui did the unexpected; he turned and started to flee. Only to trip over himself. _Klutz. _In a desperate attempt to escape with his life, Cui charged his ki and took off into the air.

Not preparing to allow the weakling to flee from battle, Vegeta kicked off into the air and took chase.

He came to a halt in front of the fish man, scaring the life out of him. Not giving him any time to retaliate or run, the Saiyan punched him in the center of his stomach; strange, pale yellow liquid oozed from the wound rather then crimson blood. The look on his face was priceless. Vegeta's punch was strong enough to send him soaring high into the sky.

Smiling as he moved to claim his victory over Cui, Vegeta aimed a pair of fingers at him. "Goodbye." Using a technique that he had learned over the years, Vegeta forced the ki in Cui's body to twist and churn; in the end, the force was strong enough to detonate his body. The poor man exploded while in midair.

His victory was satisfactory, and he could have stayed to gloat, but the Saiyan prince had more pressing matters. Vegeta lowered himself to the ground, a thoughtful expression on his face. He would need to plan his next move carefully he planned to find all seven dragon balls…

**And here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and I shall update soon…**


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